The Long Journey Home
by CatLady4
Summary: Meta is a rarity. She is a dwarf-women, raised only by her mother and she has never lived with other dwarves. Now she is determined to find out what dwarves are really like. What she finds on the road is far beyond any expectations she started out with!
1. At the Prancing Pony

'How can I help you, little lady?' the innkeeper asked.

Meta stared up at him over the top of the tall counter. 'I would like dinner and a room for the night.'

The large man maneuvered around behind the counter and checked his room board. 'I hope you don't mind. We are very full tonight, and I will have to put you in the hobbit room. It isn't that different from the others only it is a smaller scale. However, being that you are a dwarf, it shouldn't be too tight a fit.'

'That will be alright. I am very tired and any bed right now sounds wonderful!' she told the man. She had been on the road now for over a week and was ready to put her feet up in civilized accommodations for once.

'Barrowman, another guest!' A slight man ran in from the stable yard and bowed to Meta. 'My grandson will show you where to go. When you are ready just come back here for your dinner, or would you prefer to remain in your room?' He knew that sometimes women didn't want to face a hoard of half-soused men alone.

Meta smiled. 'I will come back here. My name is Meta, and I am trying to see as much of the world as I can so it makes no sense to hide myself away.' She turned to leave and then remembered her question. 'Do you know of anybody traveling towards the Ered Luin in the next few days? I am looking for a group to travel with on the road.'

The innkeeper ran a hand down his face. Well, Miss Meta, not off hand, but I am so busy right now my brain isn't thinking the way it should. When things quiet down I'll see what I can come up with. You might ask around tonight at dinner. There's usually somebody headed that way.' Another party hurried through the door demanding service and the flustered man turned to greet them.

Meta followed Barrowman back out to the stable yard. He led her between the main building and another one built low to the ground. 'The hobbit rooms are over here, miss,' He motioned to the low building. 'Not much call for them tonight so you should have a nice quiet stay.'

She walked in through the broad round door and saw a tidy sitting room with a pair of chairs in front of a brick fireplace. Barrowman knelt before it and set the kindling alight with his flint. 'There, that should be going nicely soon. It has been surprisingly chilly for this time of year. The bedroom is through the door and the bath is beyond. Will you be wanting water for a bath? It's no problem to bring it.'

'I would love a bath if it isn't too much to ask. You never realize how much you miss water until you are on the road!' She had felt grubby for the last few days and ached to be clean.

'Well, I've never left Bree so I wouldn't know, miss. My family caters to the travelers instead of going ourselves! Course, I've never been all that keen on baths either. Once a week is about all I can stand!' Barrow said. He never could figure out why people wanted so much bath water. All he needed was a half-decent sized bucket poured over his head, and he was good for another few days. He bowed politely and went to see about the water.

Meta put her pack on the table and plopped tiredly into one of the chairs. A few weeks on the road and she was only in Bree! It had seemed like a good idea at first but now she wondered if it was worth the effort. Perhaps she should have stayed in her little village. But the whole point was to meet other dwarves and see how they lived. She had been raised by her mother among 'outsiders' all her life. It was time to find out who she was and where she came from at least culturally. When she started she had intended to go to the Iron Hills, but the only people she could find to travel with were heading towards Bree. 'You can find someone from there to take you to the Ered Luin,' one of the men said. 'It can't be much different from the Iron Hills. Dwarf halls and all. And there's a fair amount of traveling between there and Bree; should be easy to find someone to go with.'

So here she was in Bree. Other than being dusty, the trip hadn't been that bad. She loved to hike and the scenery had been very interesting. But since she had never been anywhere before, anything different was bound to be interesting.

….

Meta felt like new after a nice long bath. She entered the crowded common room and looked around for an empty seat. The innkeeper bustled over and bowed. 'Welcome back. I hope you don't mind sharing a table. There is a lovely couple that I think you would work well with.' He turned and led her to the other side of the room. Two people sat at a table in the corner. 'Here she is at last! Miss Meta, meet Elva and Elroy.'

Meta bowed to the pair. 'I am very pleased to meet you. Thank you for sharing your table with me.'

'Sit, sit,' Elroy stood and motioned her to the chair next to his wife. 'We are always looking to meet new folk. It is one of the reasons we stay at the Prancing Pony for a few days rather than with the family. That and Butterbur the innkeeper,' He leaned over conspiratorially and whispered, 'And it keeps me out of Elva's sister's hair.'

Elva shook her head, 'Pay no attention to my dear Elroy. He acts like my sister would throw him out of the house if we stayed longer, but we really do like to make new friends and hear the news. It's much easier to do that from here than from a house.'

They ordered their meals and then Meta spent the next few minutes answering probing questions from her dinner companions. In short order they knew who she was, where she was from and where she was going. 'All the way to the Ered Luin? We have never been much beyond Bree. I hear the Shire is a beautiful place, but Bree is good enough for the likes of us!' Elroy explained. 'Are you traveling with anyone? The road seems to get more hazardous every year.'

'I was hoping to find a group headed in that direction. I traveled with a few Men most of the way from my village, but they are not going any further. Have you heard of anyone heading that way?' Meta asked.

'No, but then we only got in this afternoon. I'll keep my ears open and Elva can ask her sister. That woman knows everything that happens in Bree!' Elroy told her.

Elva slapped him playfully on his arm. 'You stop that. She doesn't know _everything_. Well, almost everything. Are you sure you want to travel with men, my dear?' she asked with a worried tone.

'Why not? Is there a reason I shouldn't?' Meta had had no trouble on the first leg of her journey.

Elva blushed and hesitated. 'Well, you never know with men. And not to be crude, but I doubt many have ever seen a dwarf-woman before. They may be tempted to be….rambunctious.'

Elroy took over. 'What she's trying to say is that some men may try to push themselves on you in an unwanted manner. We've been here at the Prancing Pony numerous times, but we've never seen a dwarf-woman.' Now it was his turn to look embarrassed. 'Honestly, the rumor is that you don't exist and that you are all bearded. They say dwarves are born from stone or some such nonsense. It's good to know the truth!'

Meta quickly put those rumors to rest. 'My mother and I have no beards, although she did say that some dwarf-women are more bearded than we. And I obviously have a mother!'

She turned back to what was really important. 'But if I don't travel with men how am I supposed to continue? I'm not afraid to go by myself, but I have been warned to always be with a group.' Meta sensed her great journey falling apart before it was even started.

Barrowman came with their food and conversation paused while they dug into the tasty fare. Slabs of ham with new potatoes swimming in butter accompanied by freshly baked rolls filled the air with a delectable scent. When three plates were mostly empty, Elroy continued the previous conversation. 'You should wait until some dwarves are headed your way. It shouldn't take too long. There is plenty of traffic this time of year and we see dwarves all the time.'

'How long isn't too long? I don't mind waiting for awhile but…' her voice trailed off.

Elroy screwed up his face in thought. 'Shouldn't be more than a week, I would guess. You can ask Butterbur, he might know. Anyway, you can spend some time seeing the area and visiting with us in Bree.'

'Oh, that would be marvelous,' Elva agreed. 'As much as I like visiting my sister, it is always good to have a few distractions planned.'

'That does sound sensible as long as Butterbur thinks there will be dwarves coming through.' She changed the topic, 'What are hobbits? Butterbur said my rooms were for hobbits but I have never heard the term before. They must be very short. I have to keep ducking my head for the doors!'

Elva and Elroy filled her in on all details hobbit. 'You may see some later tonight. They don't usually come when it's this busy. They'll wait until the crowd thins a bit and then join everyone for a pint or two,' Elroy explained.

'They sound fascinating. I hope I get to meet a few.' Meta had lived among Men all her life. Seeing someone shorter would be very interesting.

…..

Meta spent the next few days with her new friends touring Bree and the surrounding area. She met plenty of hobbits and found them delightful company. As she had thought, it was gratifying to have someone shorter than herself around. Finally late one afternoon a note arrived from the Prancing Pony. A promising group of dwarves had arrived and would be heading to the Ered Luin the next day if she was still interested in leaving. Meta packed up her bag at Elva's sister's house and went with Elroy back to the inn.

Butterbur was much more relaxed this time around. The inn was busy but not overwhelmingly so. 'Ah, Miss Meta, back again I see. Would you like the same rooms or some on this side of the inn? We aren't nearly so busy and you can move if you want to.' He leaned over the counter and smiled broadly. 'I hear you've been taking in all the sights of our fair town. I hope it has been a pleasant experience!'

Meta nodded and returned his smile. 'It's a wonderful place! Elroy and Elva were most entertaining. I will be forever grateful for your introduction. Now if this next group is even half as good, I will be even more in your debt.'

Before the innkeeper could answer, a wave of sound burst out of the common room down the hall following by loud voices shouting. Butterbur looked somewhat embarrassed. 'Well now, I will leave that decision up to you. The trio arrived earlier today and has been enjoying the hospitality of the inn. They said they are going to the Ered Luin and they look respectable. However, I am not sure you will want to meet up with them right now. Might be best to wait until they've had a good night's sleep.'

Elroy saw her confusion and stepped in to explain. 'Dwarves are notorious for their drinking and carousing when they are on the road. They confine it to when they are at rest and always seem fine in the morning. I wouldn't hold anything you may see tonight against them tomorrow. Barrow is right you may want to wait until morning to make their acquaintance.'

'If I am going be traveling with them, I think I should see them at their worst.' Meta started down the short hall to the common room which had continued to explode with sound and laughter. She walked through the doors and saw a sizeable crowd grouped around what must be the three dwarves. One of them was enormously fat. Stocky like herself, but even broader, they each had a hand wrapped around one of the inn's largest steins. Taking turns, each one gulped the contents, wiped his mouth and then let out an unbelievably obnoxious belch. With each one the crowd roared its approval. Meta winced at the sound not because it was rude, but because she couldn't imagine how anyone could produce such a noise.

Butterbur pushed his way through the crowd and leaned over to the fat dwarf's ear and shouted over the din. 'Send him over, Master Butterbur! We'll take a look and see if we want him to join our merry tribe!' He took another swig and proceeded to belch several times in succession. His companions slapped him on the back and nodded in agreement.

'Send the bugger in; let's get a look at him,' shouted a second dwarf in a very odd hat.

'He best hurry up or they'll be no beer left for him!' shouted the third heavily bearded dwarf.

Butterbur's face cringed at their words and he leaned even closer to the three who amiably moved over to better hear his words. Meta watched the three faces as they registered first shock and then embarrassment. They sat back and turned toward the door. The heavily bearded one broke away from the group and came over to Meta. 'Begging your pardon, miss. We had no idea it was a lady. This is an honor and a surprise. Bifur's my name, at your service. Please accept my apology for my behavior.' The dwarf bowed almost double as he spoke.

Meta blushed. 'No need to apologize. For all I know, your behavior is completely acceptable if a bit loud.' She smiled at the mortified dwarf before her. 'Please don't let me ruin your enjoyment. I don't want to impose on your group any more than I must.'

The room had quieted to a much more social noise level once the dwarves were distracted by Butterbur. Now the other two made their way over to Meta's side. Butterbur joined them and said, 'Allow me to introduce Miss Meta.'

The dwarves each bowed and introduced themselves in turn. The heavyset dwarf was Bombur and the one with the funny hat was Bofur. 'What brings you out on the road, miss, if you don't mind me asking,' Bombur said. 'Dwarf-women do not travel,' he said with a note of disapproval.

Meta raised an eyebrow and replied, 'Since I am a dwarf-woman and I am traveling, that can't be true.'

The one named Bifur laughed. 'She's got you there, Bombur.' He turned to Meta. 'It would be more correct to say that dwarf-woman rarely travel and then only with family. You are the first I have ever met on the road and alone.'

'Well, you could not have met a finer group!' Bofur roared. 'Bombur's my brother and Bifur's my cousin. We are out on the road to see the world and find new employment. Your charming company will only add to our pleasure!' He winked at her and took a swig of his beer.

Bombur persisted. 'Even so, I would like to know why you are on the road. You aren't in trouble are you?'

Meta laughed. 'No, I am not in trouble or being pursued by a jilted lover if that worries you at all!' The dwarves only stared at her in confusion.

'Jilted lover?' Bifur asked. 'No dwarf would leave his intended. It isn't done.'

Now it was Meta's turn to stare. 'I wouldn't be so sure of that.' Her eyes grew hard for only a moment, but then she laughed. 'I am heading to the Ered Luin to learn more about dwarves. My mother and I have lived with Men for much of my life and it is time for a change.' She added no more details.

'Well we all have our reasons, don't we? You are more than welcome to join us if you think you can stand such a trio. We can't promise that we are refined but we are honest and will get you to the Ered Luin,' Bombur stated.

'That is all I ask. I will try to be as little trouble as possible. I have my own pony and supplies. All I need is good company,' she smiled at the three B's as she already thought of them. 'We will get along fine I am sure.'

The three dwarves nodded in agreement and asked her to join them for the evening. 'I am rather tired and I think I would be a hindrance to your pleasures,' she said. 'I will see you in the morning.' The B's bowed her out of the room and returned to their unrestrained revelries.

…

The next morning, Meta rose early. She doubted the three dwarves would be on the road at the crack of dawn, but she wanted to be ready if they were. After finishing her breakfast in the common room, she sat and watched the comings and goings of the inn's clientele. A half hour later, the B's rolled in.

Bofur walked slowly and gently to a table, sat down and dropped his head to its surface. Bifur followed his cousin and sat next to him his head propped in his hands. Bombur crept over to the nearest chair and collapsed into it. It groaned under his sudden weight but held together. As he settled in to the seat, he saw Meta watching him, her mouth open and her eyebrows raised in question. 'Don't worry, miss. All I need is a bit of coffee and I'll be good to go.' As if to counteract that assertion, he closed his eyes and groaned.

Butterbur followed on their heels laden with a massive tray of sausages and biscuits perched on one shoulder and a large pitcher in his hand. The food was placed under the dwarves' noses and the coffee was distributed among three large mugs. Slowly three pairs of eyes opened and looked at the food. Three hands reached out and pulled the mugs closer.

Butterbur moved over and stood by Meta. 'Don't worry, Miss Meta. I've seen a lot of dwarf parties. This one was mild in comparison to some. Once they get some food down, you'll be on the road in no time.'

The innkeeper was right. After the food disappeared and the coffee was drained, the dwarves rose from their table. Stretching and rolling shoulders they motioned to Meta and walked out to pay their bill. She went outside and waited while Butterbur's grandson brought her laden pony out of the stable. The B's exited the inn and each greeted her with a bow. 'Tis a fine day, Miss Meta!' said Bifur as though he had not been all but comatose an hour ago. 'We will make good progress before the sun sets again!' With that Meta began the next leg of her journey to the Ered Luin.

…

The B's were good companions. They didn't treat her with kid gloves. After they had completed their recovery from the night before they began to sing and tell her about themselves. Most recently, they had lived near the Iron Hills, but they were tired of being miners. Bombur was a good cook, Bofur wanted to work on his music, and Bifur loved making toys. They hoped that the Ered Luin would offer them some new opportunities. 'But if doesn't work out, we can always do more digging,' Bifur laughed.

They happily answered her questions about dwarven culture to the best of their abilities. 'We are rather low on the scale in society, being miners and all,' Bofur told her. 'We can't really say much about the higher orders!' His eyes twinkled as he said this so she didn't know how seriously to take him. That was the trouble. They were so full of fun and pranks that it was very confusing at times trying to figure out fact from fallacy. For all she knew, everything they told her was a tall tale.

Of course they wanted to know all about her too, but she was adept at not giving them too much information. It wasn't that she was ashamed. It was that she wasn't comfortable enough with them yet to tell her story in detail. She did admit to thinking of them as the Three B's which gave them no end of pleasure. At times they would call out, 'Say B3, what are you up to?' Or 'I say, B1, pass me some of that bread!' All in all they seemed to get along well and the time passed quickly.

**Thoughts and comments greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!**


	2. The Incident

They had been on the road for several days when they overtook a group that had been delayed by an injury. The party, composed of a family of three and two single men, asked to join the dwarves. Tomin, the father of the family said, 'Billy hurt his foot and it is only now somewhat healed so we have been moving rather slowly. We would be grateful for some company.'

Bombur said, 'Why of course you may join us. The more the merrier!'

Meta watched as the father lovingly picked up his son and carried him piggy back along the road. The boy's foot was lightly bandage but his face was smiling as his father hoisted him aboard. The mother flitted around making sure her boy was comfortable.

The day was beautiful; sunny and warm with a gentle breeze. Meta talked with the mother, Gella, and heard about their adventures on the road. She thought how nice it was to have another female around to chat with.

After a while, one of the single men developed a rather odd fascination with Meta. He kept walking next to her and making odd comments. 'Never seen a dwarf lady before. Did they let you out of a cave? You sure got a pretty smile,' and so on.

Meta did her best to be polite at first. She nodded her head and smiled slightly but she tried to discourage him by mostly ignoring him. The group was strung out along the road and she didn't think anyone else noticed what a pest he was becoming because he talked in a low voice and stayed quiet if they were near anyone else. Finally she had enough. 'Please leave me alone,' she asked politely. 'I prefer to walk by myself.' She quickened her pace and tried to catch up with the other dwarves who were slightly ahead.

This only made the situation worse. 'Don't be stuck up, little missy! I'm just tryin' to be friendly. Why can't you be my friend?' The man, Mot, picked up his pace to match hers. When she continued to try and get away, he became frustrated and grabbed her arm.

'Don't touch me!' she cried out loud enough to draw attention. 'Leave me alone!' She yanked her arm away from Mot and broke into a trot.

Bifur turned around at her cry and knew right away what the problem most likely was. He ran back to Meta and stood between her and Mot. 'Is something wrong, Meta? Is this man bothering you?' He was much shorter than Mot, but they were still evenly matched. Bifur weighed as much as Mot and was much broader in the shoulders.

Mot put up his hands palm out, 'Everyone settle down. 'I was just trying to be friends with her.' He immediately backed away and watched as Meta and Bifur rejoined the other dwarves. 'Bitch,' he muttered under his breath. 'Just wanted to be friends.' He followed sullenly behind.

'What was that all about, Meta?' Bifur asked. Her face was red and angry, and she had her fists clenched tightly against her sides.

'Oh, he was being rude and wouldn't listen when I told him to leave me alone. I've been warned about his sort, but he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Thank you for coming back. I didn't want to make too big of a scene.' She smiled to take the edge off the situation, but Mot had frightened her with his intensity.

Bifur smiled back. 'Men can be that way even with dwarf-men. They seem to see us as sturdier versions of children and think they can order us around. If he gives you anymore trouble, let me know and I will have a word with him.

Mot seemed to have learned his lesson and left Meta alone for the rest of that day and the next. She relaxed and once again enjoyed the beautiful scenery they were walking through. They skirted the edge of what the B's told her was the Shire. From what she could see, she knew Elva had been right to praise the pretty land. The fields were well maintained and promised a bountiful crop in a few months time. She hoped that someday she might be able to see more of it.

…

Meta preferred to sleep at the edge of the group. She had discovered that it was easier to listen to the night sounds over the snoring of the dwarves. She was yanked out of a sound sleep when someone picked her up and dragged her into the woods. She tried to scream, but a hand firmly covered her mouth. Squirming and kicking she was pulled away from the group and into a dense thicket of bushes.

The moon was full and bright and as she was pushed down onto her back, she saw Mot looming over her. He leered down at her as he straddled her body and pinned her arms to the ground. Keeping his hand over her mouth, he struggled to loosen the laces of her tunic. Her body writhed under his as she tried to free herself.

'Now you calm down, little dwarf-lady. We can have some fun and then I'll let you go,' he said in a playful voice. Meta tried to twist her head away but he crushed his hand down even harder. 'Hold still, bitch, or I'll break your neck!' The soft voice was more menacing than if he had yelled at her. Meta allowed her body to go limp. 'That's better. I only want to be your friend. Are you built any different from the others? I always like to try different things.' Mot kept up a running dialog as he struggled with her clothing. Meta stayed very still as she tried to find a weakness that she could use to her advantage.

Lulled by her submission, Mot at last allowed the pressure on her mouth to ease slightly. Meta felt the difference and waited a moment longer. When it eased further, she quickly twisted her head, opened her mouth and caught the edge of his hand between her teeth. She bit down with all the strength she could muster, but Mot didn't cry out as she had hoped. However, he did yank his hand away and Meta began to scream. Mot punched her viciously on the side of her head. Slightly dazed, she continued to scream.

In the camp, the sleepers at last became aware of the drama. Meta's screams rang out in the silence of the night. The men and dwarves leaped up and ran toward the cries. Gella checked to make sure her son was alright and followed.

Rather than trying to undress Meta, Mot was now determined to inflict as much pain as possible. He flailed at her head as she tried to avoid the blows. Her arms were still pinned under his legs so she had limited success. As he leaned further forward, she heard a voice from long ago. 'Use your legs, Meta. They are the strongest part of your body.' She bent a leg and thrust her knee as hard as she could into Mot's kidney. Pausing only briefly, he grunted in pain and raised his fist for yet another vicious blow.

Before he could land it, he was bowled over by Bombur's significant weight. Mot and the dwarf rolled together away from Meta who immediately scooted deeper into the bushes. The other men and dwarves were close behind and ran over towards her. Confused and dazed, she continued to push further into the safety of the shrubbery. One of the men knelt and tried to coax her out, but the sight of a Man reaching for her scared her even more and she began to scream again. Thankfully, Gella arrived. 'I want all of you to leave. I'll take care of this,' she shooed them all away as if they were unwanted insects at a picnic.

Kneeling, she faced Meta who was cowering a few feet away. 'They're all gone, dear. Come out when you're ready,' the gentle voice said. 'I won't let anyone hurt you.'

Meta squeezed her eyes shut against the pain in her head. The calm voice continued to speak soothingly. Her senses began to return to normal and she realized that Mot was gone and she was free. Crawling slowly out of the bushes, she fell into Gella's arms.

Eventually, Gella led her back to the camp. Before they left the wood, she had Meta sit under a tree and wait. 'I'll be right back, Meta. Let me see to a few things first.' Gella walked to the fire where the rest waited with Mot. 'Get him out of here. The last thing she needs to see is this oaf.' Gella spit at Mot and pointed into the woods. 'Tie him to a tree if you have to but get rid of him.' Her husband and Bombur dragged the protesting Mot away.

'Now the rest of you,' Gella addressed the others, 'She's been traumatized by that beast, but the best thing you can do is give her some space. Don't pretend it didn't happen, but let her talk about it in her own time. If she chooses to stay silent, leave her be.' She glared at them until they all had nodded silently and turned back to the fire.

Gella returned to Meta and led her back to the family's tent. 'Now you sit here and catch your breath.' She got out a flask and poured something into a small glass. 'Drink this, you'll feel better.'

Meta raised the glass to her bruised lips with a shaking hand. It took a minute, but she finally managed to swallow most of it. It burned on the way down but warmed her stomach once it got there. 'Thank you. Elroy and Elva warned me about Men, but I thought they were exaggerating. No one in my village ever did anything like that.'

'Please don't think all Men are like that, Meta. Most are as upstanding as any Elf or Dwarf. Mot is an exception,' Gella said. 'My Tomin is a good example. Strong, brave and honorable as the day is long.'

They sat quietly for a little while and then Gella looked outside. 'The sun is beginning to rise. Let's get you outside and cleaned up.'

Meta sat on a stump while Gella brought a pan of water and a cloth. She wiped the blood off the dwarf's face and neck. 'Well, you will have a nice set of bruises and your lip is cut, but everything else seems to be alright. How do you feel?'

Meta moved her jaw back and forth and opened her mouth. 'Stiff but not too bad. My hands ache where he knelt on them but nothing seems to be broken.' She put her hand up and ran it around her neck. Gella saw rising panic in her eyes. 'Oh no, it's gone! It must have gotten pulled off!' She struggled to get to her feet all the while crying, 'It's gone, it's gone!'

'What is it, Meta, what's gone?' Gella asked.

Without answering, Meta moved as quickly as she could back to the woods with Gella and her son Billy following behind. The day was bright enough now for her to see where the attack had occurred. The duff was scuffed and pushed aside and the grass was crushed. Meta fell to her knees and started to sift through the leaf litter.

Gella joined her. 'What am I looking for, Meta?'

'A ring on a chain! I have to find it. It's all I have left!' she cried anxiously. Her scrabbling in the leaves became even more frantic. Tears ran down her face as she searched.

A few minutes of looking uncovered no ring. Meta's heart was breaking at this latest calamity when Billy cried out, 'Is this it?' He held up a large gold ring.

Meta looked up at his cry and lunged toward him. 'Oh yes, that's it, you wonderful boy!' She pulled him to her and gave him a big hug. 'Billy, you have saved the day. I would have hated to lose it. It was my father's.' She hugged the child again. He grinned with pleasure as he handed her the ring.

The others had watched and listened as the three had searched. Bofur had wanted to offer his services but had held back because of Gella's earlier words. Now he and the others were relieved to see the little group return with smiles on their faces. Meta paused by the group. 'I am sorry for all the turmoil. Thank you for rescuing me.' She couldn't quite bring herself to look at anyone's face.

'Think nothing of it, my dear,' rumbled Bombur. 'That scoundrel should never have touched you and you can be assured he will have no such opportunity again!'

While Meta changed her clothes, the group discussed what to do with Mot. 'Leave him tied to a tree and walk away!' was Bifur's suggestion. 'Castrate him,' was Gella's. Since neither of these seemed like viable options no matter how attractive, they decided he would have to come along. The dwarves demanded that he be bound at all times and Gella insisted that he be kept far away from Meta. They hoped to meet some travelers headed to Bree and would be able to convince them to take the miscreant off their hands.

….

Meta, Gella and Billy trailed after the group with their ponies. Mot walked between Tomin and Bombur at the head of the group. He was none too pleased about being bound. 'It was only a little fun!' he kept saying until Bombur used his bulk to pin him up against a convenient tree.

'It was not fun and it was nothing little,' he snarled as he pushed into the man's body. 'How does it feel to be sat on? Like it? If you do, I can always go a little further!'

Mot began to turn an interesting shade of blue and finally shook his head. Bombur backed off just enough for him to squeak out, 'Please don't.' After that, the comments ended and he was more cooperative.

…..

A day and a half later, they spotted a small group heading towards them on the road. As the two groups neared each other, Gella, Meta and Billy left the road and sat down under some trees. Bombur and Tomin continued on to speak with the new arrivals and Mot and the other man waited in the middle of the road.

Meta watched as the others neared. It appeared to be a group of mostly men but she thought she saw a dwarf or two among the walkers. Once they met with Bombur and Tomin she was certain there was a dwarf with them. He was taller than usual with grey hair still streaked with a bit of youthful black. He carried himself with a regal dignity that was missing from her current dwarf companions.

Too far away to hear what was said, Gella and Meta could only guess about the conversation. At first, it was the usual greetings among strangers but then they could tell that the story of Mot was being relayed. First the new folk looked towards Mot and then over toward Meta. Even though they were some distance away, she found herself ducking her head into her hood to hide the bruising that had blossomed across her face.

'Do not do that, Meta!' Gella exclaimed. 'You have nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, you need to be proud of how you handled your defense. Not many women would have been able to get Mot to release his grip. He is very strong.'

Even though she recognized the truth in the words, Meta still felt shy about her face. 'I just don't like people to see me this way. I look nothing like I should!' she said through her still swollen lips.

'You look fine, Meta. See those bruises as badges of honor!'

Before Meta could reply, they noticed that the dwarf and one of the men were heading their way with Bombur and Tomin. Bombur continued on for the last little bit while the others waited a dozen feet away. Meta stood to meet him.

Bombur bowed to Meta and said, 'These gentlemen have agreed to take Mot back to Bree to face judgment, but they would like to hear your story first hand so they can tell it to the justice.' When he saw Meta hesitate, he added quietly, 'Without your testimony, Mot may go free.'

Horrified by the idea of Mot going unpunished, Meta slowly nodded her head. The dwarf and another man stepped forward to greet her. 'Meta, meet Thorin Oakenshield, lord of the Ered Luin and Jorel of Bree.' Dwarf and man bowed to Meta.

Boldly she pulled her hood back and tilted her chin up to let the witnesses see her injuries. 'Thank you for listening to me, sirs. Mot must not be allowed to go free.'

The dwarf, Thorin, was appalled at what he saw. No dwarf-woman should ever suffer such injuries. He maintained a calm exterior but inside he seethed with rage. Mot was fortunate that the other men were present or he would have died immediately. 'Tell me your story,' was all he could manage to say.

Meta told them the tale from her first meeting with Mot until the attack. They listened solemnly and Jorel asked a few questions. Had she ever shown an interest in Mot? Had he said anything about being with her in an intimate way? She did her best not to show the anger she felt.

'No. I did not like him, but I tried to be polite when I rejected him until he would not heed my request.'

Bifur related how he had heard her ask Mot to leave her be. 'She asked him to leave her alone, and we thought that was the end of it.'

After the others contributed their views, it was agreed that Mot would be taken back to Bree. 'Even if they should free him, he will be far from you, Meta,' Bofur assured her.

'That is all well and good for me, Bofur, but what about other women? I doubt I was the first or last he will manhandle if he gets away with it!' she cried.

'Thorin is known as a dwarf of honor,' Tomin told her. 'I have heard of him in Bree. If there is anything that can be done, he will see to it.'

Meta nodded. 'I don't see that there is anything else I can do, so I must be content. Like you said, he is no longer my worry.'

The two groups separated and Meta felt much more comfortable on the road. Now she could look forward to the Ered Luin without further concerns! She stayed with the dwarves for the next few miles. 'Tomin said he had heard of Thorin Oakenshield. Do any of you know about him?'

'Oh, aye,' said Bofur. 'He is famous in our lore. He is the heir to the kingdom of Erebor. Certainly you have heard of that?'

Meta nodded her head. 'Mostly about the dragon and that it was incredibly rich.'

'Good enough. Thorin won fame in a great battle. He used an oak branch as a shield and so gained his name. But even without that, he is known as a good leader. That's why we decided to go the Ered Luin. All we need is a fair shot to get settled. Lord Thorin was pleased to hear we were joining him and has promised to help.'

'Good. Now I am more confident that Mot will face justice. That Jorel seemed a little less eager to punish one of his own.'

Bofur smiled at her sadly. 'That is all too often the case among the races, Meta. We tend to treat our own a little more kindly than the others at times. Thorin will see that he does not go free, I can almost guarantee it.'

**Hopefully that wasn't too intense. Read, review, enjoy!**


	3. The Ered Luin

_The ideas about dwarf culture are mine alone, loosely based on the little that Tolkien shared. I hope you enjoy my interpretations. Thoughtful comments welcome._

**...**

A few more days and the mountains of the Ered Luin loomed larger with every passing mile. Snow capped and majestic, Meta watched as they neared. She had asked the others what they knew of the dwarf settlement, but none of them had ever been there before. Sadly Tomin and Gella would be leaving them later that day to make their way to their own village.

'We have always wanted to see it, but since dwarves are so insular we could never come up with a reason to go,' Tomin explained.

'I will miss the three of you,' Meta told the family. She liked the dwarves, but this family was more like what she was used to. 'Perhaps someday I will visit you. I really don't know what life will hold for me in the next few months and years.'

They bid farewell at a small crossroad. Meta knelt and hugged Billy. 'I want you to have this, Billy. I can never thank you enough for finding my ring.' She handed him a small toy horse and cart. 'It was mine when I was a little girl, but I think you will give it a good home.' He smiled at her and then ran back to his parents already making the horse gallop through the air.

…..

The B's climbed the steps before the main portal of Thorin's hall. Arriving at the door, a gatekeeper stepped forth and challenged them. 'Who are you and what is your purpose?' he asked.

Bombur moved his bulk forward and answered, 'We are seeking residence and employment in the halls of Thorin Oakenshield.'

The gatekeeper thought these were less than promising candidates. He surveyed them for another moment and then said, 'I am afraid….' What he might be afraid of was never said because as he prepared to deny them entrance, Meta came running up the stairs.

'Forgive me; I got distracted looking at the wonderful façade.' Her fully healed face was flushed and her smile bright at all the new things she was seeing.

The gatekeeper stared at this vision of femininity and began again. 'I am afraid you will have to wait awhile for approval. Lord Thorin is away at the moment. I will allow you to enter and begin the process.' He smiled brightly at Meta and motioned for the others to enter almost as an afterthought.

'We met Lord Thorin on the road. He was most welcoming when he heard our destination,' Bofur told the dwarf. He didn't like the way he was looking at Meta.

The gatekeeper ignored him and spoke to Meta. 'All you need to do is go into the hall to the first door on the right. There you will register and be assigned quarters. I look forward to seeing more of you in the future!' He bowed so deeply his head almost touched the ground.

Meta, oblivious to his attitude, thanked him and stepped through the door followed by the others. Her eyes widened in amazement when she saw the hall. It seemed endless. The vaulted ceiling towered far above and the hall stretched far into the mountain. She could not see to the other side. Climbing the sides of the walls were staircases that reached additional levels with more passageways carved into the rock face. Light streamed in from windows cut in the outer side of the mountain with more light entering from above. Any potentially dark corner was lit by any number of oil lamps.

She turned and faced her traveling companions. 'I had no idea it would be this grand! Lord Thorin must be an amazing leader to accomplish all this!'

Bifur hated to dim her enthusiasm. He had heard too many stories of Khazad-dum and Erebor not to realize that the halls of the Ered Luin were but a pale imitation. 'Yes, they are very nice. I hope you will be happy here.' If Meta noticed the stiffness of his words, she didn't show it.

In the lead now, Meta headed off to the first right-hand door and entered a large room occupied by various dwarves busily writing on reams of parchment or bent over large volumes. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with shelves of huge books. A clerk near a high counter saw her and immediately came over. 'How may I help, my lady?' He said it just loud enough for the other clerks to hear. They didn't jump up and turn around, but it was obvious they were listening intently and making any excuse to steal a peek at the newcomers.

'My companions and I are newly arrived. The gatekeeper said we were to see you.' Meta smiled at the dwarf and he felt his toes curl in his shoes. New dwarf-women were a rare commodity.

Unable to bow as low as the gatekeeper because his counter was in the way, the clerk did his best. 'But of course. I will need to know your names, where you are from and what skill you can contribute to our community.'

Meta gave him her information and then stood back to allow the B's to do the same. While the clerk performed the same task for Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur, he did not show the same enthusiasm as with Meta. When the bureaucracy was satisfied, the clerk motioned to another two clerks behind him.

'Isidr, show my lady to the Bower.' He regretted not being able to execute this delightful task himself. 'Skrag, take these three,' he barely looked at the B's, 'to the Quarters. See that they are settled properly.' Turning back to Meta, he said, 'Please come to me if I can ever be of any assistance.' He bowed his head as low as he could and waved them all away.

Isidr and Skrag led the group further into the mountain. When Isidr started to climb one of the many stairs, Meta turned to the B's. 'Thank you for taking such good care of me! I am sure we will see lots of each other soon!' She gave each a bow and followed Isidr up the stairs.

Bofur, Bifur and Bombur watched her depart with heavy hearts. Skrag laughed slyly. 'Good luck with that, lads. Once she's in the Bower you'll be lucky if you ever see her again without a husband!' He led the three toward a stair that descended sharply into the depths of the mountain.

….

Isidr guided Meta up several staircases before leading her down a well-lit passage. At the end were two large doors carved out of some sort of reddish wood. Meta would have liked to look more closely at the artwork, but Isidr did not seem as accommodating as the nameless clerk. 'In here, in here. I don't have all day.' He nodded to the sentry who stood watch outside the door. 'A new lady for the Bower.' The guard rotated a heavy latch and swung one of the massive doors open. Bowing, he gestured for the pair to enter.

Meta watched the procedure with a tiny bit of nervousness. What exactly was a Bower and why did it need a guard? She slowly entered the door and found herself in a grandly furnished outer room. The furniture was upholstered in heavy fabrics and the walls were covered in silk drapery. A few light shafts provided some illumination supplemented by oil lamps.

Isidr strode over to a small table, picked up and rang a tiny bell. A few moments later, an efficient looking dwarf-woman bustled into the room. 'What have we here, Isidr?' She looked at Meta through a pair of glasses perched on her nose. Meta tried not to think of her travel-stained cloak and less than tidy hair.

'A new chick for your nest, Marly. She just arrived with three dwarves.' Meta heard the sneer in his voice and wondered at his attitude.

Marly finished her examination and nodded to Isidr. 'Thank you, Isidr. I will take it from here.' The dwarf bowed and left the room without another word. 'What is your name?' she asked abruptly.

'Meta, my lady,' Meta managed to say. She found this dwarf-woman intimidating to say the least.

'None of that 'my lady' business. You will refer to me as 'Matron'. I assume you are unmarried and have never been so?'

'Yes, my…er Matron.'

The matron narrowed her eyes at Meta. 'A little long in the tooth to come to the Bower aren't you?' she asked rudely.

Up to that point, Meta had been feeling a bit cowed, but the matron's words riled her spirit. 'I have no idea why there might be an age limit or why I should be unwed.

The matron snorted. 'If you come here, it is your duty to find your 'Only One' and start a family as soon as possible. Why else have you come to the Bower?'

'I have no idea what a bower is, nor do I have any particular wish to wed any time soon,' Meta retorted. 'I have come to learn about dwarf culture and practice my craft. I am an artisan, not a piece of meat!'

The matron listened and laughed. 'That clerk! He is so wife hungry he made some unfortunate assumptions. The Bower is for ladies who wish to marry. We rarely have anyone from outside and he must have thought or_ wished_ you were a new candidate. I will be honest with you. We do not have many female artisans here in the mountain, and those we do have are much older, widowed, or have been refused by their Only One. You may find it difficult to accomplish your goal.'

Meta listened to the matron's grim words of warning. 'Well, I really don't have much choice. I am not looking for my Only One. It was my understanding that you don't look; it just happens.

The matron nodded. 'That is the dream, but there are a few girls who like to do it this way. When dwarf-men know you are a Bower resident, they pay far more attention. It signals that they have a better chance at achieving marriage. But that apparently is not your aim. I think it best that I take you to see Lady Dis. She will have a better idea of how to help you. My realm is the Bower and I seldom trouble with anything else in the mountain.'

'Who is Lady Dis?' Meta asked. 'Do you really think she can help?'

'If anyone can, she can. Dis is Lord Thorin's sister. Since he is unwed, she manages the domestic needs of the mountain while her brother sees to the business side. It is a good combination,' the matron said as she led Meta out of the Bower.

….

The Lady Dis was a formidable looking dwarf-woman. A little broader in the shoulders than Meta, her hair was mostly grey but there was a lively glint in her eye as she surveyed the mountain's newest female. 'You are alone, Marly said. Where is your family and why have you come to us?'

Meta told her story again about wanting to learn about dwarven culture and wishing to practice her craft. 'I make and repair jewelry among other things.'

She was surprised when Dis laughed ruefully. Seeing her guest's surprise, Dis explained, 'There isn't much call for jewelry design and making here, my dear. We rarely find gold or silver in this mountain and most of us are not wealthy any longer. It is iron and other lesser ores that bring in our income. You may have some success with repair and reworking. Some folk managed to salvage a few possessions after Smaug. You_ have_ heard of Erebor and Smaug, have you not?'

'A little. My mother knew something of the tale, but it was more of a scary story than an actual event.' Meta had nightmares after the first time she heard about the terrible dragon. It had been years before her mother had ever mentioned it again.

Dis snorted. 'It was more than a scary tale to those of us who lived through it, let me tell you. I was only a little girl at the time, but those events are etched into my brain.'

Meta saw a look of sorrow and loss cross the dwarf's face. While she was normally curious, she tamped down any desire to hear more at this moment. There would be other occasions to learn the whole story.

Dis seemed to mentally shake herself. 'Now then, what are we to do with you? I can house you in the guest quarters for now. I would leave you in the Bower, but I think it would make you uncomfortable. Those women have only one thing on their minds. The mountain has family quarters, bachelor quarters and the Bower, but nothing in the way of single dwarf-woman housing. You are a very rare bird, Meta. Have you found your Only One and failed or are you still waiting?' Dis asked.

'I have never been around dwarf-men, my lady. My mother and I lived in a village with only Men. That is one of the reasons I came here. She wanted me to learn more about my own people.' She hesitated. 'I have to admit, I don't know much about the Only One. My mother would never talk about it. Her Only One abandoned her before I was born,' she said bluntly.

Dis could only stare in shock. 'He abandoned her? Did he not feel the same way? Sometimes it _is_ a one-sided love, but there is usually no close physical contact outside of marriage. It is only when both are in the grip of being One that two dwarves will become intimate enough to create a child.' Dis shook her head. 'And for him to abandon her is unheard of!'

Meta said softly, 'It is a long tale that I am not comfortable discussing. It caused my mother much sorrow and heartache.'

'I can only imagine,' Dis huffed. 'For an Only One to behave so. It is unconscionable. I think I will put you in the family quarters for now. We have no guests so that wing would be very lonely and since you wish to learn about the culture, you will do better there. If you do not like it, please let me know. It is my job to make sure everyone is as satisfied as we can manage.' She smiled at the dwarf. She had two sons but had always wished for a daughter. 'And if you want to know about dwarf culture, ask questions. We all love to talk, talk, talk especially about ourselves! Why don't you join me for dinner this evening? I can introduce you to some of our folk and get you started on your new life.'

Meta happily accepted the invitation and then was shown to her new rooms by yet another dwarf-man. It truly did seem as though there were no women in the Ered Luin!

….

Meta enjoyed a wonderful dinner the first night. She met Dis's sons Fili and Kili. They were younger than she and full of fun. She got the feeling that Dwarves tended to be far more into pranks and jokes then Men. She was also introduced to a dwarf named Balin. He served as Thorin's man of business. The meal was served in a large hall that was solely for dining or festive occasions. Dis told her what the meal times were and where she should sit. 'You can sit anywhere, of course, but the ladies tend to congregate here where the manners are a bit more refined.'

As the dinner progressed, Meta saw what Dis meant. Occasional fights and arguments broke out at surrounding tables and the dwarf-men were more rambunctious and loud then she cared for. It reminded her of the first time she had seen the three B's. They must have been on their best behavior for the rest of the journey because of her. 'Do you know how I can find my traveling companions?' she asked Dis. 'I haven't seen them here tonight.'

Dis asked her a few questions about the B's and then summoned a dwarf over. 'See if you can find out anything, Poler, and let me know.' Poler bowed low and left the room. 'We should have an answer soon. The clerk's office will know where they were assigned by now.'

Shortly after they had finished eating, Poler returned from his errand. 'The ones named Bofur, Bifur and Bombur are currently in the mines.' His voice dripped with snobbery as he spoke the word 'mines.'

'Thank you, Poler, that will be all for now,' Dis dismissed him. 'You traveled with miners? I doubt you will see much of them from now on. They have their own area of the mountain and we rarely see them in the upper levels.' While her tone wasn't as obvious as Poler's had been, Meta could hear the disapproval. Although the main purpose of the mountain was mining, the ones who performed the dirty work were seldom admired.

'I didn't think of them as miners, my lady. Bofur was a good musician, Bombur a cook and Bifur made the most amazing toys. That is what they wanted to do here. I am sorry I will not be able to see them again.'

'We do not have much call for those skills. That is why they have been sent to the mines. It is a default occupation for those who arrive without a needed craft. I am sorry, Meta. Perhaps you may see them on one of the festival days. All are welcome to attend those and sometimes the miners venture up and join in,' Dis said.

Meta was saddened by this news. 'It seems like a waste of talent. Mining is dangerous, isn't it?'

'Not so much dangerous as unpleasant. Thorin is very conscious of safety. We have not had a death this year,' Dis said proudly. 'You must understand, Meta, that as useful as miners are, they have very little social standing. I do not encourage you to try and maintain this friendship.'

Meta nodded reluctantly. It seemed she would have little choice anyway. She couldn't go wandering around looking for her friends in the mines. However, she swore if they ever came to a festival, she would definitely _encourage _the friendship!'

**Forgot to mention that I usually try to update on Thursdays...**


	4. Second Thoughts

After a few weeks, Meta was certain she had made a mistake in coming to the Ered Luin. She didn't fit in anywhere. The women that lived near her quarters were nice enough, but they were wrapped up in their children and housekeeping. They had no time for a single dwarf-woman's questions about culture and dwarf life. The single ladies in the Bower were no better. All their days revolved around who may have found their Only One, when they might find their Only One, or what if they never found their Only One? It was all very tedious.

The dwarf-men were divided into two camps. Or three. The first were the married dwarves. They paid no attention to Meta at all. Isidr from the first day was a good representative. If they had to interact with her, it was with an air of impatience. The second group was worse. These were the dwarves like the clerk who assumed she was meant to go to the Bower. They trailed after her hoping to be noticed and adored. While she had no aversion to marriage, she did not feel any of them merited being her Only One whatever that really meant. She spent part of each day avoiding hopeful wooers.

The final group was the dedicated craftsmen. She had tried to get some of them to help her with her work and at first they were vaguely interested. However, when they saw some samples of her jewelry, they lost interest. 'To flowery,' was one comment. 'Not at all what dwarves like,' was another. When she saw examples of dwarven jewelry, she had to agree. It was all angles and straight lines where her focus had always been on nature and fluid lines.

Dis introduced her to some of the wealthier dwarves, but none had any real need for repairs or desire to commission new work. She spent her days wandering the halls of the mountain. It was partly to see what was there and partly to simply fill her endless, empty days. She had grown to appreciate dwarven architecture and style in an academic way, but like the jewelry, it was too sharp and angular for her to really love it.

….

During her first week Meta worked up the courage to revisit the clerk's office. She needed courage not only to ask her question but also to face the clerks. When she walked through the door, all eyes turned and watched as she walked up to the counter. The original clerk waited anxiously for her to approach. She now knew his name was Inor thanks to his relentless attendance whenever he could find her.

'Ah, my lady, how good of you to visit us again! How may we serve?' Once again he almost brained himself on his counter trying to bow low. 'I would be most honored if I am the reason?' he asked hopefully.

'For the thousandth and one time, Inor, you are not and never will be my Only One!' Meta honestly stated. The cold words had no effect. Inor still gazed at her like a puppy hoping for a walk. 'I want to know if a dwarf named Frer, son of Fror lives or ever lived in the mountain. Can you help?'

The puppy wiggled with joy. 'Oh most definitely. We keep very good records here, my lady. I can tell you that no such dwarf lives here now. I have all the names of our current residents' right here!' He pointed a finger at his head and winked at her. 'Can you tell me when he may have lived here? It would please me no end to research this matter for you.' The puppy could hardly contain itself.

'Somewhere between seventy-five and one hundred years ago, but that is only a guess. I am not sure he ever lived here at all. It is a long lost friend of my family's. He may have gone to the Iron Hills. I don't want to be a bother. It doesn't really matter.' She turned to go.

The puppy, sensing his beloved might get away, hurried to reply. 'It is no problem, my lady! No problem at all! Our sole purpose in this office is to answer questions such as yours.' His fellow clerks rolled their collective eyes at his words. The things some males would do to get a female to look at them! Of course, deep down, most of them were cursing the fact that they had all refused to work the front desk that day.

Inor the puppy snapped his fingers at the watching clerks. 'Don't just sit there staring! Go and get the volumes for 2820 to 2850 for the letter 'F'. He turned back to Meta. 'Would my lady care for a chair while she waits?' The puppy eyes were in full begging mode.

Meta would have liked to sit, but she knew any encouragement would attach Inor to her all that more closely. 'No, thank you. I think I will go for a short walk and come back later to see if you have found anything.' Inor nodded soulfully as she walked away.

…

After a visit to her pony, Meta returned to the see Inor once more. He spotted her as she approached the door and gazed at her with doleful eyes. After another forehead endangering bow, he shook his head sadly. 'I am sorry, my lady, that no record of a Frer, son of Fror exists for the time you named. We even checked another twenty-five years on either side. There are quite a few Frers but none that are a son of Fror. There were also no Frors, son of Frers.' He hesitated to blame his goddess. 'Are you sure you have the names correct?'

Meta's heart sank and her stomach churned. 'They are correct. Like I said, there was no certainty that he was here in the first place. It isn't that important,' she lied. 'Thank you for your help, Inor. I appreciate it.'

Inor wiggled in pleasure at this praise. 'Anything I can do for you, my lady, I am at your service.'

Meta wandered away knowing that Inor would now be even more firmly adoring than before.

…

The one bright spot were her lunches with Dis and Marly, the Bower matron. Dis had noted her unhappiness soon after the first day and had invited her for a private meal. Meta got to hear all the gossip around the mountain and learn a bit more about the way dwarves lived but it only occupied a brief hour or so each day.

For her part, Dis didn't know what to do with Meta either. She was far too elegant and refined to be put to work in a menial job, and anyway, dwarf-women rarely did that kind of work. They were held in too high esteem. The dwarf-men would be very uncomfortable to see a woman in such a position. They married, crafted or they managed and at the moment, there were no such jobs available. She hoped that when her brother returned they could figure something out.

After a few weeks, even the pleasant lunches came to an end. Lord Thorin arrived and his presence shook the mountain awake. In his absence, everything ran on a more informal and peaceful routine. Once he came back, they all worked a little harder. This included Dis. He informed her that he and a small group of dwarves would attempt to see what was happening in Erebor, and the wizard Gandalf would be visiting the Ered Luin to assist in the planning. He wanted to be back on the road in under a month. He needed his sister to help with the supplies and organizing so she no longer had time for leisurely lunches with matrons and maidens.

…..

Meta was getting ready to leave for her lunch date when the note cancelling it arrived from Dis. Sighing she resigned herself to eating in the dining hall. She had continued to watch for the three B's but she had yet to see them. She had considered sending a note but couldn't think of what to say. They had been traveling companions not bosom buddies. It was only her loneliness that was driving her desire to see them.

Sitting with the Bower maidens, she listened to their tales of searching for love with little interest. She had never really seen herself as married mostly because there had never been any dwarf-men around. Now that she had seen the choices available, she was even less inclined to wed. The idea of living with an Inor-type all her days was appalling, and tending to endless household chores and children even less so. She was glad she had not sold her pony when she arrived. It looked more and more like she would need him to return home or to investigate the Iron Hills.

Having finished her lunch early, she wandered toward the main door. As she approached she saw Dis coming toward her. Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarf she had spoken to briefly about the attack, was by her side. Meta stood back to allow the pair to pass, but Dis stopped. 'Here she is, Thorin, the woman I told you about. Meta, allow me to introduce my brother, Lord Thorin.'

Meta bowed low and said, 'Forgive me, Lady Dis. I neglected to mention that I met Lord Thorin on the road from Bree. It was not the best of circumstances. Lord Thorin, a pleasure to see you again.'

Thorin stared at her. Something about her other than her name tickled a memory but it was soon gone. 'Good to see you again, Meta. You look much better this time around without the bruises or cuts.' He smiled at her pretty face.

'Bruises? Cuts? What didn't you tell me, Meta?' Dis asked.

Meta looked uncomfortable. 'It was nothing, my lady, an unfortunate encounter with a Man.'

'Nonsense,' Thorin snorted. 'She was brutally attacked but managed to fight off the assailant. She certainly demonstrated the strength of dwarves. You will be pleased to know that Mot has paid the price, Meta. Justice has been done.'

Meta smiled politely. She didn't want to relive the event any further. 'Thank you, my lord, that is good to know.' She bowed and moved swiftly away before the conversation could continue. Thorin was struck by the way she walked and watched as she left the room.

Dis surveyed her brother. 'I doubt Meta noticed it, Thorin, but I didn't particularly care for the way you said, '_paid the price.' _What did you do?'

Distracted from his thoughts, Thorin raised an eyebrow at his dear sister. 'Nothing you need worry about, Dis. Suffice it to say that her attacker will never hurt another woman be it dwarf, man or even elf.' He smiled a wicked, self-satisfied smile and moved into the dining hall.

Dis shook her head and followed. It might take awhile, but eventually she was going to pry the whole story out of him! They took their seats at the head table. Thorin tried to track down a memory that seemed to flit just out of reach. 'What do you know about this Meta, Dis. She bears herself in a most unusual manner.'

'Only what I already told you. She was raised alone by her mother among Men. She wants to learn about her culture and see more of the world. While I have not seen her actually working, she brought some very nice examples of jewelry with her that she said she made. The jewel master said they showed true skill in the making but the style is most definitely _not_ dwarven.' As Dis related this again, she realized how little she had managed to pry out of her new protégé. 'She is very good at avoiding giving too much information, Thorin, but I sense it is more out of shyness than bad intent. It would be nice if she found her Only One, but so far that hasn't happened.

Thorin grunted and frowned at the mention of an Only One. Again the nagging little memory flitted across his mind but before he could catch it, it was gone. 'Well, do what you think is right, Dis. I leave all that female stuff to you.'

Dis nodded and returned to her earlier topic. 'Now tell me what you did with this attacker...'

…..

The day after meeting Thorin again, Meta watched as Balin posted a notice on a panel in the dining hall. After he left, she walked over and read "_WANTED: Dwarves interested in joining a Company to survey the mountain, Erebor. Must be skilled with weapons, able to withstand hardship and understand that there is a likelihood of death by any number of ways. Great reward if successful. See Balin or Dwalin to apply." _She read it carefully and wondered. Perhaps this was the path she had been seeking. She would get to see more of Middle-earth and leave the tedium of the Ered Luin behind.

After dinner, she knocked on the door to Balin's library. 'Come in.' She turned the latch and slowly pushed the door open. Balin looked up from his desk and said brusquely, 'Well, what is it, Meta isn't it? I don't have all day.'

Meta drew in a deep breath and dared to say, 'I want to apply for a position with your company.' Balin's face showed surprise but it was the loud guffaw from the corner that made her jump.

'You! You want to join the company! Preposterous! What can you possibly have that we need?' Thorin had been sitting unnoticed but now he stood and faced her. 'We need experienced warriors not little girls on this adventure. I will thank you however for giving me a good laugh for the day.' Thorin put his hands on her shoulders, turned her around and gave her a little push towards the door. 'Off with you. Perhaps they have something in housekeeping that will suit you better.' He continued to chuckle both at her suggestion and his own.

Meta narrowed her eyes and planted her feet. Turning back to face him, she said, 'How do you know I have nothing to offer? What do you know about me other than my name? What are my skills? Where was I born? I at least deserve the courtesy of stating my case! You_ know_ I can protect myself!' Her chin lifted as she spoke and she straightened up to her full height. It pleased her no end that her eyes were almost level with his.

'She's right, Thorin,' Balin supported her. He fully expected that within a few more minutes she would be on her way, but if they didn't give her a fair hearing, who knew what she would say to the rest of the community? It would be better to nip this one in the bud from the start. 'Meta, what can you possibly contribute to our Company?' he smiled a bit condescendingly as he spoke.

'I am not a great warrior, I will grant you that, but I can sharpen any weapon no matter how dull to a very fine edge. I assume you will have a few weapons on this journey?' she asked.

Thorin and Balin exchanged glances. Each dwarf could care for his own weapons, but to put on a really fine edge was a skill not many had. 'Very well, you may demonstrate your skill.' Thorin walked to a cupboard and pulled out an ancient sword. Even from several feet away Meta could see that its blade was badly nicked. 'See what you can do with this!' he presented the hilt to her with a wicked little grin.

Meta took the sword and without looking at it, bowed low to Thorin and then Balin. 'I will return within two hours.' She turned to go.

'Make it one,' said Thorin. 'We won't have time for dawdling on the road.' His grin spread across his face. He hadn't had so much fun in days!

Meta bowed again and left silently. 'That was a mean trick, Thorin,' Balin said. 'That old blade never held much of an edge when it was new. I only keep it to smack mice with and you know it.' Balin shook his head. It was good to see Thorin in a happy mood, but the girl didn't deserve to be the butt of jokes so soon upon arrival.

Thorin ran his hand over his lips as if to stop the grin. 'I know, I know. If she manages to do anything with it at all, I will give her a fair test, but I doubt it will come to that. Now, where were we?'

….

Once again, Meta stood outside Balin's door and knocked. Again the voice bid her enter and she opened the door. This time, Thorin was seated at Balin's side as they went over various parchments. 'Back already?' Thorin asked. 'Balin says I have treated you unfairly and should not have given you that old thing. Are you willing to try another?' This time his smile was more kindly. He didn't want to humiliate her, only put her in her place gently.

Meta laughed to herself and lifted the sword. 'It was one of the more interesting cases I have come across, I will grant you that.' She picked up a discarded piece of parchment from the floor, turned the sword and raised it toward the document. It sliced neatly and cleanly in two with just a whisper of sound. 'I hope that wasn't important,' she belatedly apologized.

Balin and Thorin goggled at the demonstration. 'That cannot possibly be the same sword!' Balin exclaimed. He stood and walked around the desk to look more closely. Meta handed the sword over to him. He brought it closer to the light streaming in from above.

As he moved his finger up to the edge to test its sharpness, Meta warned, 'Be careful!'

Balin nodded slightly and barely touched his forefinger lightly along the blade. A thin red line appeared across the digit. 'I didn't even feel that, Thorin,' Balin exclaimed. '

Now Thorin rose and examined the sword. 'You're certain it is the same blade? No switch has been made?'

'Absolutely, see the nicks here and here? She managed to make them smoother, but they have been there forever. I got them on the steel collar of a goblin long ago, and the hilt is the same.' Balin turned and bowed to Meta, 'Congratulations, my dear, your work is superb!'

'So I can go? I am part of the company?' she asked excitedly.

Before either Thorin or Balin could reply, there was another knock at the door and a messenger entered. 'A message for Lord Thorin,' he said with a bow. He handed Thorin a letter and took up a waiting stance outside the door.

Thorin opened the letter and scanned it quickly. 'Damn it! There are ghost miners in the west end again. I'll have to clear them out before we leave. How many times do we have to do this?' he asked angrily.

Balin took the letter and read it also. 'I will get Dwalin to start the planning. Hopefully there aren't as many as last time.'

'What are ghost miners?' Meta asked, confused.

Thorin swung back to her. He had forgotten she was even there. 'Ghost miners are thieves. They sneak into inactive tunnels and take whatever they can get. That is bad enough, but they often damage equipment and cause cave-ins. They are a plague!' He stopped speaking and looked at her through narrowed eyes.

'You proved your worth with the sharpening, but I have my doubts about your ability to protect yourself against an armed assailant. I will not have someone along who needs babysitting. Do you want to join this raid so I can see that you are competent?' he proposed.

Meta listened to his words with a pounding heart. She wanted to join the company, but when it came to actually facing an enemy she wasn't sure she was really ready. However, it was now or never. 'I will come.' The die was cast.

Thorin nodded. 'Dwalin will let you know the details later.'

**A friend told me about real ghost miners in South America and that started this whole adventure...**


	5. Ghost Miners

Two days later, Meta was called to a meeting in one of the public rooms. This time several other dwarves were present. One looked even younger than herself. She moved to stand next to him and introduced herself while they waited. 'I am Meta. Are you joining the raid, too?'

The young dwarf swallowed uncomfortably and nodded. 'Yes. My name is Ori. My brothers want me to go with them when Thorin leaves, but Thorin wanted to see if I was ready. Have you ever done anything like this before?'

Meta shook her head. 'No, but I really want to join the expedition, too. I guess we will find out soon whether we are suitable or not.'

Before Ori could reply, Dwalin strode into the room. Everyone fell silent and listened intently as he began the instructions for the raid. He described some of the tunnel layout and what they could expect in terms of resistance. 'To the best of our knowledge, there are approximately twenty individuals. We are unable to determine if they are all dwarves. Other times there have been Men mixed up with these ghost miners. Be careful of the Men!' He seemed to direct his words to Meta and Ori. 'They will not hesitate to aim for a killing blow. Most of the time, the dwarves will resist and try to make an escape, but they usually will not slay a fellow dwarf.'

Meta looked at Ori out of the corner of her eye. She swore he grew a shade paler at Dwalin's words. She hated to think what her own color was right about now. She wanted to turn and run but suppressed the urge.

Dwalin then went over the plan of attack and the ideal outcome. 'Lord Thorin wants to make an example of these ghost miners. He wants to discourage any further intrusions while he is gone. As a result, he would like to take as many prisoners as possible for public humiliation. However, do not hesitate to kill if necessary.' Dwalin broke off and smiled grimly. 'I would prefer no prisoners whatsoever so everyone has my blessing to feel as threatened as possible!'

The more experienced dwarves in the room responded with sly understanding laughter. Meta smiled tentatively at the thought of killing anything let alone another dwarf or a man. Ori looked even sicker than she felt.

The time and place for the launch of the raid were given and Dwalin dismissed everyone except Meta and Ori. He came over after the others left. Dwalin said, 'Are you both still coming?' When they nodded, he said, 'This should not be a difficult raid. We would like to see how you handle yourselves, but under no circumstances do I want you getting in the way.' His eyebrows bristled on his forehead and he loomed over them. Even though Meta was almost as tall, she felt about two feet tall in his forbidding presence.

Ori raised a hand as though he was in school. 'What do you want us to do then?' Meta was thankful he had asked. She didn't have the courage.

'Keep out of the way and try and stop anyone from escaping.' He paused. 'And don't get yourselves killed.' With those encouraging words, he brushed past the two and left the room.

'Well that is as clear as mud,' muttered Meta. 'How do we keep anyone from escaping? Any ideas?'

Ori shook his head. 'I think I will concentrate on the not getting killed part. I know my brothers want me to come along to Erebor, but I am having second thoughts. Why are you going?' he asked.

'Adventure and culture,' Meta replied. 'I have lived a very sheltered existence. I know almost nothing of Middle-earth or dwarven life. I thought this would kill two birds with one stone. Plus, I make jewelry and I understand Erebor has some of the finest examples ever made sitting under that dragon. If we succeed, I would be the first to see them in years! Are you only going because of your brothers?'

'Mostly, but I also want to see some of the world. I have spent many years studying and it is time for a little adventure. Dori and Nori assure me this will be the best chance I have.' Ori still was not convinced of that, but he was willing to give it a try.

They continued to discuss the coming raid and what they should do. 'I think we hang out at the back and watch and wait,' suggested Meta. 'We can always jump in to help if it looks like we are needed. What kind of weapons do you have?'

Ori blushed. 'I usually use a slingshot but I have trained with axe and sword. I am not very good at either,' he added honestly. 'What do you use?'

Meta said proudly, 'I am fairly good with an axe and competent with a sword. You will have to show me the slingshot someday. I always like to learn new things.'

'Who taught you? No woman I know ever had the least interest in weapons and none ever trains!' Ori was amazed to hear what she knew.

Meta stated proudly, 'My amad wanted me to be able to protect myself. She knows the world can be a dangerous place.' She smiled remembering how she had eventually become 'one of the boys.'

Ori nodded rapidly in agreement. It most certainly was and it seemed like it was going to get a lot more dangerous very soon. They talked for a few more minutes and then parted so each could prepare for the coming raid.

….

The raiders met at the main passage to the west end where the ghost miners were looting. There were thirty in the group; one for each suspected raider and a few extras. All were armed and wore their preferred armor. Meta was dressed in a simple leather tunic that was then covered in densely woven chain mail. She carried an axe with a wickedly sharp blade. A dagger rested on her hip.

'You don't have a helmet?' Ori asked. He had on chain mail also. He grasped his slingshot tightly in one gloved hand and a sword was strapped awkwardly around his waist. His helmet kept slipping down his forehead and he nervously pushed it back up every few minutes.

Meta reached over and pushed it up for him. 'That is why I wear no helmet. They never fit right and often block my line of sight. I would prefer to see the blow that kills me!'

Ori nodded and then reached up and pulled the offending gear off his head. 'I didn't want one either, but Dori put it on.' He set the helmet down on a nearby bench. 'I guess what he doesn't know won't hurt him.'

The others milled around checking out each participants gear. Meta noticed a few glances her and Ori's way. Whether because she was a woman or because he was so young or both, she didn't know. It didn't matter. She was used to being stared at. She had always been the "different" one in a crowd.

Dwalin and Thorin came striding down the hall to join them. Thorin's face was set and hard. He was tired of intruders always trying to take what was his. He quickly divided the troops into two groups. At first, he was tempted to separate the two "newbies" but decided it would be easier to keep an eye on them if they were together. 'You two,' he pointed at Meta and Ori, 'you are with me. Stay together and try to keep each other out of trouble!' He gave them what he hoped was a reassuring grin and turned toward the passage.

They moved as quietly as armed soldiers can down the tunnel. Meta found herself distracted somewhat. She had never been in the working parts of the mountain before. It was rougher and smaller than the living areas and there was interesting machinery to be seen in various niches and rooms off the main hall. She could see rough scars in the walls where it looked like someone had hacked at the rock to remove something. Was this ghost miner damage? Finally, she walked into Ori's heels one too many times.

'Meta, pay attention!' he hissed. 'You can sight-see later after we survive this little adventure!'

'Sorry, Ori,' was all she said. She cursed her stupidity and focused her eyes on Thorin.

After narrowing down so they could only walk single file, the hall began to widen again. Meta and Ori followed behind Thorin. She could see two vast doors looming out of the darkness. These led to the cavern. They would have to get through them quickly and try to surprise the miners. Dwalin and another of the dwarves reached out and braced themselves in front of the handles. Thorin held his hand in the air and then swung it down. The two dwarves heaved back simultaneously on the doors and pulled them quickly open.

Fortunately, Thorin kept his mountain well maintained and they opened soundlessly. Thorin ran inside followed by the rest. Obeying orders, Meta swung to the left as she went into the cavern. It was brightly lit after the dark hall and she could see figures moving about on the far side. Suddenly, shouts rang out and she heard the sound of metal clashing with metal.

As she moved further into the room, she saw a lot more than twenty miners! Already, Thorin, Dwalin and the other lead dwarves were engaged with one or more miners. Other miners could be seen racing up, armed with whatever they had managed to pick up on the way. She and Ori closed and blocked the doors and took up positions a quarter of the way into the room. Dwalin had told them to stay there and prevent any escape.

It wasn't long before a miner headed their way. Ori drew back on his slingshot and let fly. A sharp stone smacked the dwarf in the middle of the forehead and he dropped to the ground stunned. 'Good shot!' Meta cried even as another pair of dwarves ran at them.

Ori took out another one but the second ran by him before he could reload. Meta hefted her axe and stood in his way. The miner was shorter but more powerfully built than she was. He carried a shovel and as he approached her he swung it at her head. She blocked his initial move with the axe head and yelled, 'Surrender to Lord Thorin and you will not be harmed!' In answer he took another swing at her head.

Meta spun her axe up and parried the blow. This time instead of warning him, she swung again hard at his arm. Her sharp blade bit deeply into the tendons and muscles. The dwarf cried out in agony and fell clutching the wounded limb. Meta stepped passed him and moved to support Ori.

They could see the others still struggling against the main body of miners. Ori was able to use his slingshot and distract a few from where they stood, but Meta felt useless. Unless someone ran at them there was nothing she could do. Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her ankle. It pulled back and she almost lost her balance. She yanked her foot free and looked down to find the wounded dwarf trying to reach for the foot again.

She spun around and raised her axe. 'Do that again, and I will take it off!' The dwarf snarled at her and lunged forward. Without another word, she buried the axe in his hand and sliced half of it away. The dwarf collapsed face down squealing in pain. 'I warned you,' she said. She saw some rope on a table and with Ori's help they tied up their two prisoners.

The battle raged before them. No more tried to escape and they moved closer to the action. Injured miners lay scattered around the cavern and Meta recognized some of their own troops among the wounded. Dwalin was fighting against three miners at a time while Thorin engaged two. The rest of the soldiers were facing the same.

Unexpectedly, a door halfway down the cavern opened and another group of miners stormed in. These had somehow learned of the assault and came prepared. Several were armed with swords and battle axes rather than shovels and mattocks. They split up and ran toward the melee in the middle of the room. Simultaneously, Ori and Meta both shouted, 'Thorin! Thorin! Look out!' Together they raced toward the new arrivals. Ori pulled out his sword.

Ori met one of the miners with a brutal slash of his sword. What it lacked in skill, it made up for with adrenalin. The miner fell back, bleeding from a chest wound. Meta waded in with her axe. She no longer was focused on preventing escape or worrying if someone might get hurt too badly. The number of miners versus the number of Thorin's dwarves meant that serious damage was now the order of the day. Survival instinct took over.

…

Thorin Oakenshield was having a very good day. Sure, there were more miners than expected which angered him immensely. However, as far as he could tell, none of his people had been seriously injured and he had been given a perfect opportunity to work off some energy and practice his skills. As he fought, he noticed how well his sword cut and slashed. He would have to remember to compliment that girl, what was her name again? Mela? Meta? She really did know how to sharpen a blade. It might actually be worth it to bring her along.

His reverie was broken by voices shouting his name. He broke out of his trance-like fighting state to look over at the two youngest troopers. Against all orders, they were madly running toward him shouting and pointing. His eyes followed the direction they indicated and he saw even more miners arriving in the cavern. And, he noted, they were much better armed!

'Dwalin,' he shouted, 'we have company!' His warrior friend finished off his current opponent and turned in Thorin's direction. He gritted his teeth and raced to assist the youngest of the company. Meta and Ori were surrounded by three men. Two had swords and one had a shovel. Ori and Meta had already finished off three of their number, so the men were more cautious than at first.

Now they were circling the pair, trying to get past their weapons. Meta and Ori stood back to back and tried to keep the ones with swords away. One of the men broke ranks and lunged at Ori. Ori barely managed to parry the blow and remain standing upright. The man's sword had crashed against Ori's, causing a reverberation to run down his arm partially numbing it.

Meta held her axe firmly in front of her. 'Come here, little girl! I'll show you what a man is like! Why waste your time with that skinny thing?' growled one of her opponents. Meta had been well trained and let the comment slide past without comment. Her teacher had always taught her that talking wasted concentration and breath. When he did not receive the hoped for response, the man raised his shovel and swung it at her head. She thrust out the axe's handle and used it to block the blow. When the man stumbled a tiny bit, she followed up with a vicious strike at his neck. The axe neatly sliced through one third of the flesh and the man fell bleeding.

When the remaining men saw this, they intensified their attack. Their strength and height gave them an advantage over the smaller, inexperienced dwarves. One man got past Ori's flailing sword and cut him deeply on the arm. Ori dropped the sword and fell to the ground in pain. Now Meta stood alone trying to defend them both. The last man raised his shovel to deliver a blow at Meta's head, but before it could land, she slipped and fell in some of the blood from his companion. The shovel whistled through the air where her head been only a second before.

Now the men closed in for the kill. Meta had pulled out her dagger and was lying on her back trying to determine the best way to use it. All Ori had left was his slingshot, but he held it in his hand to use as a club. One of the men leaned over Meta and bent down to grab her. Using the same strategy as with Mot, she lifted her legs up and thrust them hard into his chest. He grunted loudly and fell backward. When he hit the ground, she heard the air _whoosh_ out of his lungs. '_That takes care of him for a minute or two._'

The final man raised his sword over Ori ready to plunge it down on the poor dwarf. However, at that moment, an angry Dwalin arrived to rescue him. Dwalin's axe came down straight and true into the back of the man. The man straightened, his eyes open wide in surprise and slid to the floor, dead.

Dwalin turned back immediately to the battle that still raged in the far corner of the room. 'Stay here! That's an order!' he yelled as he ran off to help finish off the last of the resistance.

'I don't know about you, but I think that is a very good idea,' Ori muttered. He cradled his numb and bleeding arm.

Meta reached into a pocket under her chain mail and dragged out a handkerchief. 'Here, let me see that.' She wrapped the cloth around the arm and knotted it in place. 'That will have to do for now. It doesn't look too bad.'

Ori nodded his thanks and they turned to watch as Thorin and the others finally subdued the last few miners. The winded miner finally managed to get his breathing back to normal and tried to stand. Meta waved her dagger in his face and said, 'That would be a very bad idea.' The man sat back and put his hands in the air.

The surviving miners were rounded up and locked into a storage room until more guards could come and move them to proper cells. Thorin surveyed the scene. He hadn't lost any dwarves, but a few were badly injured. Dwalin had some of the uninjured dwarves creating makeshift stretchers so they could be carried back to the Healing Hall.

Thorin walked over to where Ori and Meta sat exhausted. He noted the trail of bodies behind and around them and raised an eyebrow. 'Hmmm. Not so good at following orders, but not bad in a fight.' He put out a hand to help Meta to her feet. 'Welcome to the company. What were your names again?'

**Hope this came across alright. Never have been all that great with fight scenes. I am off to travel the world for a few weeks, but I hope to be able to do my regular posts. If not, I will make up for it when I get home! Thanks for reading, reviews always appreciated.**


	6. The Day After

The raid was the talk of the mountain the next day. Meta's admirers buzzed around even more than before. Inor and his competition couldn't believe she had done anything so risky. 'You mustn't take such chances, Meta! What if you had been hurt or…killed!' he asked breathlessly.

'Nothing happened, Inor. It was a test to see if I had the skill necessary for the Erebor expedition. You may as well know that I will be leaving soon no matter what. There is nothing to keep me here,' she said bluntly.

Inor's face fell. 'I had hoped….'

'There was never any hope for you and me, Inor. You will have to keep looking for your Only One.' As annoying as he was, Meta felt a pang of sympathy for the dwarf. She knew the odds were against him ever finding his One.

Inor left her to finish her meal. She noticed immediately when Dwalin walked into the hall. He held a sheet of parchment in his hand! It must be the list of those chosen for the expedition. He posted it over the original announcement and left without speaking to anyone. A few dwarves glanced at it but since most had not put their names down for consideration many ignored it.

Meta's heart beat quickly in her chest. This was it. She walked over and quickly scanned the list. _'The following dwarves are to be ready to depart with one day's notice__**: **__Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur'._

She stared in disbelief. Her Three B's were going! That was great; they would be free of the mines. However, the fact that Ori's name was listed and_ hers_ was nowhere to be seen infuriated her. She had done as much or more damage on the raid than he, and she was uninjured! Thorin had all but named her to the company only yesterday.

Meta stalked out of the dining hall with one thought in her brain. Track down Lord Thorin Oakenshield and demand an explanation! She headed for Balin's workroom. The two were frequently there and if Thorin wasn't, Balin would know where to find him. She pounded on the door and burst in when she heard '_Enter_'.

As expected, Balin and Thorin were inside staring at her irate countenance. Before she could speak Balin asked angrily, 'What is the meaning of this intrusion, Meta? We have much to accomplish in the next few days. Spare me any theatrics. Your name is not on the list and I have no time for you.'

Meta was not to be put off. She glared at Thorin. 'Why is Ori on the list and not me? We both fought well, and you said we were to be part of the expedition. What changed?'

Before Balin could cut her off, Thorin put a hand on his arm. 'Give us a few minutes, Balin. This is my fault not yours.' He nodded towards the door and Balin rose to leave the room.

'I'll be back soon, Thorin. We cannot waste any more time. Gandalf will be here later today and we need to be ready.' He gathered a handful of documents and went out into the hall.

Meta focused her full glare on Thorin, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. 'Well?' she demanded.

Thorin sighed. 'When I welcomed you to the company, I meant it. However, I realized later that I had not given the matter my full consideration. When I did, it became obvious to me that you should be excluded.'

'What full consideration? The fact that I am a woman? You already knew _that_ I presume! I am as able as any of those dwarves listed to protect myself and to contribute to the company; better in some cases. Even though they are my friends, I must point out that Bifur, Bofur and Bombur have no more experience than I and perhaps less! And Ori is most definitely _not_ as skilled. He told me so himself. What made you change your mind? I demand to know!' Her voice rose higher with each word, her eyes snapped at him, and her face glowed with emotion. 'Are you afraid someone might molest me?' she said, remembering Mot.

'Of course not, no dwarf here would do that,' Thorin watched her with some anger but also with admiration. Here was someone who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to fight for it. He had not met many women in his life, dwarf or otherwise who would take such a stand. He rose from his chair and walked over to her. 'I would be honored to have you join my company. You have shown courage and some skill, but mine is not the only opinion to consider.' He couldn't meet her eyes and tried staring at a spot just above her shoulder.

'At least have the decency to look at me!' she cried. 'I will know who made such a decision. You are the lord; it wouldn't have been Balin or Dwalin.' Suddenly she knew. '_Dis!_ Dis doesn't want me to go.'

Thorin didn't have to speak. His posture spoke for him as his shoulders slumped at her words. Suddenly he looked like a tired old man instead of the strong dwarf he still was. 'You are correct. After the raid, Dis heard what I had let you do and that you wanted to join the expedition. She was livid. She said no dwarf-woman should be subjected to such danger. When I thought about it, I realized she was right. Stay here, Meta. Find a nice dwarf-man. Have a few children. Nothing you could do on this journey would be more of a contribution to our welfare than that.'

Meta stared at him. 'Just like that. Pick one and start having babies. Have you ever been in love, Lord Thorin? Why didn't you do that if it is so wonderful? For my part, there is nothing for me here. On your expedition or on my own, I am leaving the Ered Luin.' Without waiting for a reply, she stormed back out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Her words had driven into Thorin like knives. As it hadn't for many years, his mind ranged back over the decades to what might have been if things had only worked out according to plan. 'Yes, Meta, I was and I would have,' he said sadly.

…

Meta's next stop was Dis. Once again she pounded on a door and was bid to enter. Dis was more prepared for her than her brother had been. 'Meta, what a lovely surprise! Please sit down. I know why you are here, I can tell from your face.' She motioned to the chair next to hers but Meta refused.

'I prefer to stand. I will not be here long.' She stayed by the door.

'I insist. Sit down and talk to me. I am sure you will see reason.' Once again Dis motioned to the chair but this time there was more an air of command than request in the movement.

Reluctantly, Meta sat on the very edge of the chair; her hands gripping her knees tensely. 'I have no intention of marrying just anyone. I have heard too much about my Only One since I came here. Even though I didn't think it was all that important before, I will not settle down to please someone else.' Her words were awkward. It was hard to be angry when your opponent smiled and offered you tea.

Dis handed the delicate cup over. 'Drink this, you'll feel better. I would never expect you to marry without love. However, I don't think you have given us a fair chance! Sometimes it takes awhile for you to realize who your Only One is. Racing off on some dangerous adventure and getting killed is not the answer to boredom, Meta!'

Meta took the tea but didn't drink it. 'I know it can take time. Perhaps someday I will return. But you must understand even if I stayed I still see no future here for me. I am not one to live only for my husband and children. There has to be something for _me_! In my village, I was admired and sought after for my skills. The Ered Luin is a dead end. My heart tells me that I belong with the expedition, but as I told Lord Thorin, if that is not an option, I am leaving anyway.' She leaned forward, set the tea down and rose from the chair. 'Thank you for all of your hospitality, Lady Dis. You have been most kind. I will depart in the morning.' She bowed deeply and turned to go.

'Meta, wait!' Dis cried. She knew defeat when she saw it. This was almost harder than knowing that her two boys were headed out on the road with their uncle. 'If you insist on leaving, then you may as well join the expedition. There is safety in numbers after all. And Thorin really _did_ want you to go along. It was my fault that he cut you out.'

Dis walked quickly over to Meta and pulled her into her arms. 'I have enjoyed our time together. Keep yourself safe and look out for my boys.' She hugged her tightly. 'We have a little more time to spend together. Please set your anger aside and humor me!'

Pleased at having won her battle, Meta hugged her back. 'I would be honored to spend the rest of my time with you, Lady Dis.' She walked back to her chair, picked up her tea and settled in for a nice chat.

…

To commemorate the start of the expedition, Thorin invited all the members of the company to a festive dinner. Meta, always an early bird, was one of the first to arrive. She was sitting in a comfortable corner watching the others gather when the Three B's arrived. At first she hesitated to go and meet them. After all, she had been living in ease and comfort while they had been laboring in the mines. She hoped they wouldn't hold it against her.

She didn't need to worry. Bifur caught sight of her and pulled at the other's sleeves. They hurried over to her all smiles. 'Meta,' Bombur boomed. 'We hear you are a warrior now for Lord Thorin!'

Meta shook her head in dismay. 'Hardly a warrior, more like a lucky foot soldier. I am sorry you were sent to the mines. I know you all had wanted to do something else.' She brought the subject out in the open.

Bofur laughed. 'Not to worry. It was a minor bureaucratic error. That is why Lord Thorin has allowed us to join the expedition. He felt bad when he heard we were breaking rock. Now we have a chance to make our fortunes!' Bofur put on a bold face for Meta, but the three had been appalled to end up back in the mines. Had they not been allowed into the company, they would have left the Ered Luin like Meta had planned for herself.

'I am so happy to be going with someone I know!' Meta smiled at the three. 'I know one other, Ori, but that is only from the raid. I haven't talked to him since.'

'We shall slay a dragon, make our fortunes and become legends,' Bifur proclaimed grandly.

Meta laughed. 'I will settle for seeing the world and surviving in one piece!'

A rumble of sound moved across the room and they turned to see the cause. A tall man dressed in grey carrying a staff and a pointed hat was walking in the door with Thorin and Balin.

'That must be the wizard,' Bombur said. 'Apparently he is the driving force behind Lord Thorin's little plan.'

Meta craned her neck to get a better view. She had heard of wizards but never seen one. 'I always expected wizards to look more, I don't know, more mysterious. This one looks a little beat up if you ask me.' She noted the worn patches on his robe and his hat looked a little worse for wear.

'From what I hear, this one can be very wily and brave in a pinch. I am glad to have him along,' Bofur commented. 'If we had been doing anything other than mining, I doubt we would have had any great desire to come along on this venture.'

Meta nodded but didn't comment. She had caught sight of Dis at the main table staring at her with a slight look of disapproval. It was obvious that she had seen Meta's companions and realized that they were the miners she had heard of before. Looking with Dis's eyes at her B's, Meta could kind of see her point.

Bombur had a food stain down the front of his tunic, Bifur's beard was running wild, and without his hat Bofur's hair stuck out in random directions. They were less than impressive, but she knew that they had good hearts and that was all that mattered in the end. If Dis ever really got to know them, Meta knew she would agree. She might be a snob, but it was mostly all on the surface. Underneath her stern exterior, Dis had a good heart, too.

Eventually everyone arrived and took their seats. As usual with dwarves, it was food first and then speech. The dinner was delicious and everyone was in a happy mood when Thorin stood for his remarks. He had each dwarf stand and be recognized as a member of the expedition. Meta was very interested in this part because she only knew about half of the company. With all the similar sounding names, she realized it would be awhile before she had them all sorted out.

Then Thorin gave a brief speech. 'Thank you all for volunteering for this rather hazardous adventure. While the danger will be great, so too will the reward if we are successful. Erebor was our home long ago and can be again when the dragon has been defeated. I cannot promise that he will be, but I will promise that I will work to my last breath to see it accomplished. Gandalf assures me that now is the time to make the attempt. We will leave in the next few days. Please have all your personal gear ready to go by the end of the day tomorrow. If you wish to have anything supplied from the armory, see Dwalin. Everything else will be provided.' It was short and to the point. They would be on the road in no time.


	7. Starting Out

Boy that last chapter was short! Here's a bonus one to make up for it. Just visited Hobbiton in New Zealand! Well worth the effort.

**On the Road again...**

The big day arrived bright and clear. They met outside the stables and each dwarf went to his pony. Meta had her own dark brown with a white blaze down its nose. She had named it Baru after the Elvish word for brown. When Gandalf overheard her using it, he wandered over and whispered, 'You might want to pick another name. Thorin is not known for his love of the Elves.'

Meta frowned and stroked the pony's nose. 'He would be that upset over a name? I have never heard of anything so foolish. His name is Baru and Baru it will remain,' she said stubbornly.

'So be it, Meta. Don't say I didn't warn you,' Gandalf turned back to his own mount shaking his head. This was going to be a very interesting journey.

Meta continued to pat and rub the little pony who enjoyed it no end. Finally the call came for everyone to mount. Once she was in the saddle, Meta looked around for Ori. He had seemed to be avoiding her since the raid. She saw him a little further down the line of animals. He turned out of the line and began to ride towards her. Her face broke into a broad grin, and she raised a hand to call out to him.

He not only avoided her, he kept his face averted as he passed! Her hand slowly fell to her side and she suppressed the joyful 'Ori!' she had been about to shout. Her shoulders slumped.

A voice came from the side. 'Don't let him hurt you, lass.'

She turned to find Bofur sitting on a fat grey pony. 'Wha…What do you mean? He didn't hurt me,' she lied.

'So you say, but if he _did _hurt you, he didn't mean to. Ori is very young and his brothers have been teasing him unmercifully about his 'girlfriend'. He's only trying to make them be quiet. It isn't fair to you, but that's the way it is.' His face broke into a big friendly grin. 'Me, however, they can tease until the cows come home and I will pay no attention.' He winked at her. Meta smiled at his teasing and tried to regain her good humor.

So after Ori's snub, Meta found herself riding with her B's again. She had wanted to try and get to know the other members of the company, but they seemed disinclined to spend much time with her. It was easier to stick with the ones she already knew. There was a long road ahead and plenty of time.

….

Before they started, Thorin called the company together. 'I want everyone to understand that on this journey although I am the leader, we are all equal partners. No one is to call me _Lord _Thorin from now on.' He looked out over the group. 'Someday, if we are successful, I will be quite happy for you to call me 'King' but for now Thorin suits me.'

'Well three cheers for that!' Dwalin exclaimed. The company raised their arms in salute. 'Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!'

Having established a good mood for the company, Thorin turned his pony's head toward Erebor and began their great adventure.

…..

Everyone spent the first day getting used to being mounted. Some of the dwarves had never ridden before and for all it had been a long time since they had practiced. Even Meta had never ridden Baru much. Her previous companions on the road for the most part had walked and so had she.

Baru did not appreciate the change. At first he was only a little stubborn but as the day went on he began to try tricks. He would move off the road to try and snatch mouthfuls of grass. He would change his gait unexpectedly or stop moving altogether. Finally when he wouldn't stop tossing his head up and down, Meta had enough. 'Baru, stop it this minute or I will turn you into shoe leather,' she yelled in frustration.

Thorin, who was only a pony length ahead, turned at her shout. 'Baru? That beast is named Baru?' His eyes narrowed in disgust. 'That sounds Elvish!'

At his side, Gandalf groaned inwardly to himself. '_So it begins._'

Already mad at her misbegotten mount, Meta snapped back, 'Why yes it is. Baru is Elvish for brown. Do you have a problem with that?'

His eyes narrowed into angry slits, Thorin forgot his speech about everyone being equal. 'I will not have Elvish in this company! It is an insult to my ears. Change its name,' he demanded.

Had Thorin asked in a reasonable manner or if Meta hadn't already been in a peevish mood, she might have granted the request. She was angry at the pony not the dwarf. However, his tone of voice rankled and she stiffened her spine. 'Like I told Gandalf, his name is Baru and Baru it will remain. I will do my best not to mention it in the presence of your oh so delicate ears!'

Thorin glared at the wizard. 'What have you been saying now, Gandalf?'

'Only that you are something of an elf-hater and that you would not appreciate the pony's name,' Gandalf replied.

The other dwarves that could overhear the conversation were busily sniggering over the _delicate ears_ comment and relaying it to the rest who had not been privileged to the exchange. Thorin's face reddened as he heard the laughter roll down the line of dwarves. He decided for once that retreat was a valid option. 'See that you don't!' was all he managed to come up with. He jerked his poor pony around and continued down the road.

'I told you it wouldn't go over very well,' Gandalf whispered to Meta as she kicked Baru along the road.

She snarled, 'Then you should hope he never learns anything_ else_ about me and Elves,'

Gandalf sighed again. 'I know better than to ask.'

….

It was odd to be retracing her steps after such a short time. She had assumed she would be in the Ered Luin for years not weeks. However, it was good to be back on the road. The scenery was even greener and more beautiful than it had been earlier in the year and far more interesting than the mountain had been. Meta noticed that they tended to stay in the same spots on the way back as she and the B's had used on the way out.

One evening as she began to settle in for the night, she realized that this site was where Mot had attacked. Standing, she moved her bedroll further away from the spot where he had grabbed her, but it didn't help. Now that she had remembered, images raced over and over in her mind. Mot's words echoed in her ears and she felt the punch of his fists on her face. His hand scrabbled at her neck and tore at her clothes. Sleep refused to come.

…..

Thorin had the first watch. All was quiet for the most part, but eventually he noticed someone tossing and turning at the edge of the company. He ignored it at first. Everyone had a night now and then where there was always a rock or root in the wrong place. After awhile the tosser would usually find a somewhat flat place and settle down. Tonight that didn't happen. When almost an hour had passed and the person was still rustling around, Thorin went to investigate.

Prepared to offer a kick to whomever was the cause of the disturbance, Thorin quickly put his foot back on the ground when he realized it was Meta. She was wrapped in a blanket but every few seconds she twitched or kicked out at an unseen nuisance.

Thorin knelt cautiously by her side. Her eyes were closed and knowing her story, he didn't want to scare her. 'Meta, what is the matter?' he asked quietly. 'Can I help?'

Meta's eyes popped open and she cringed back from the figure looming over her. Recognizing Thorin after a moment, she sat up and smiled ruefully. 'I'm sorry. I can't seem to get comfortable.' Her eyes refused to meet his.

'Perhaps if you changed your location you could settle down a bit better. Even though these louts are usually sound sleepers, you will eventually wake some of them up.'

'I already tried that. It isn't the ground that causes the discomfort; it is this site in general. This is where Mot attacked me,' she said forthrightly.

'Ah,' said Thorin. 'If you had mentioned it before, we could have gone a bit further down the road. I should have asked you earlier in our journey where it occurred. Please forgive my oversight.'

'I probably couldn't have told you anyway. I didn't realize it until we had already set everything up. Even then, I didn't think it would bother me so much. I can't seem to get the memories out of my head.' Meta wrapped her arms around herself as if to squeeze them out.

Thorin sat down next to her and leaned against a broad stump. 'Traumatic events have that effect. You find them surfacing at the least reminder and at the oddest times. Sometimes it is a place, a smell, someone who was there or a gesture made unintentionally. It is as though some kind of dam breaks and the images come flooding back.' Even as he spoke, swords flashed and friends fell in his mind. He sighed and smiled at the woman next to him. 'I find that if you can be with someone or distract yourself with an activity that can help. And it is true; time will help to heal the ache. It may never go away, but it_ will _get better.'

Meta joined Thorin against his stump. She bravely asked, 'What happened to Mot after you took him to Bree, Thorin? Will I see him when we get there?' She wasn't sure she would be ready for that.

Distracted from his own brief trip down memory lane, Thorin smirked into the dark. 'You don't have to worry about him, Meta. Mot will never bother anyone ever again.'

Meta heard a grim satisfaction in his voice. 'How can you be so sure? What did they do with him?'

After a short internal debate, Thorin decided to tell her the truth. She deserved to know. 'You know that we took him with us to face justice in Bree. What you don't know is that Mot managed to convince most of the other travelers that _you_ were to blame.'

Meta cried out, 'I didn't want anything to do with him! How could it be my fault?'

Thorin reached over and took her arm. 'Sh, sh, you'll wake the others._ I_ know that and _you_ know that, but the other travelers didn't, and Mot used the days on the road to his advantage. Whenever he could, and believe me when I was near it didn't happen, he would say you were a tease and that it was only when the two of you were discovered half-naked that you decided to cry _rape_.'

'_It was her, not me_, was his constant refrain. After a time, they came to believe it.' Thorin remembered how the tide had turned against Meta and how appalled he had been at the fickleness of the Men. 'You have to understand, Meta. No one but Jorel and I had seen your injuries and Jorel's protestations were weak in the face of Mot's constant onslaught. He never said it was your fault, but he also never really stood up for you.'

'But you saw them, why didn't they listen to you, Thorin?' She couldn't believe he hadn't spoken on her behalf.

'Yes, I did see them, and I most certainly mentioned them repeatedly. But as you know, Dwarves are not regarded as equals by many Men and my word held little weight with that group. They were not the finest citizens of Bree in any case. By the time we got to Bree, Mot was the victim and with no support from the others, he was allowed to walk free with only the briefest of hearings. The judge discounted my testimony as being compromised because, of course, I would speak up for a dwarf.' Thorin ground his teeth again. He had wanted to tear the judge apart but had restrained himself. There were other routes to justice.

'But you said he would never hurt anyone again! How can you be so sure? He is walking around a free man!' Meta cried out in an intense but low voice.

Thorin smiled his self-satisfied smile again. Seemingly out of nowhere he said, 'Did you ever hear that I trained as a butcher for a very short time many years ago after Smaug attacked?' he asked.

Meta wrinkled her brow and stared at him. 'What in Mahal's name does that have to do with anything?' She stopped suddenly hit by an astonishing idea. 'You mean to tell me you….' She didn't finish her sentence.

Thorin returned to his tale as though there had been no interruption. 'After they let him go, I knew it was only a matter of time until Mot attacked someone again and I was right. People like him have no control.' Meta started to cry out in disgust but decided against it. There was a point to all this. Again Thorin smiled. 'I found him the next night. He had caught a maid at the inn when she went out to the well for water. He dragged her into a dark corner and had her on the ground. He was stripping her clothes off like he tried with you.' His face grew grim and harsh as he remembered the scene. This dwarf-woman next to him might have met the same fate if she hadn't been so strong.

'Please tell me you helped!' Meta's heart broke for what the poor maid had gone through.

'I did more than that, Meta. I killed him,' Thorin said bluntly. He had driven his dagger so far into Mot's back as he lay on top of the maid that at first he worried he might have stabbed her also.

Meta gasped. 'But didn't they want to try you for murder or anything like that? Like you said, dwarves are usually held to a harsher standard.'

'This is where past skills came in handy. The maid ran off grateful to be alive and in one piece. I doubt she even knew it was a dwarf who rescued her. I dragged the body into an alley. It was easy enough to carve him up and distribute him around the darker places in Bree. It is amazing how appreciative of a free meal hungry rats and stray dogs can be.' It had been a nasty job, but he had gained a bit of satisfaction from it all the same. 'No body, no crime. We left the next morning long before Mot was even missed. You and Dis are the only ones who know the truth, Meta. I trust you will keep it to yourself?' he cocked an eyebrow at her in question.

Meta was stunned. Stunned by the news that Mot was dead and stunned by Thorin's honest brutality. She was at a loss for words but finally managed a weak, 'Of course I will. Thank you, Thorin. I am in your debt.'

'No my dear, you are not. No one, dwarf, man, elf, male or female should ever be treated like that. Even if I had not known Mot's history, I still would have saved the maid. Perhaps not with quite so much finality, but I will not stand by and watch the strong abuse the weak.'

They talked for a bit longer until Thorin's relief appeared. Dori rose from his place by the fire and Thorin turned to Meta. 'Will you be alright now? I can always stay a while longer.'

Meta shook her head. 'No, I think you were right. Talking has helped my brain calm down a bit. I'm going to give sleeping another try.' She smiled at him and went back to her bedroll.

'Anytime you need help, Meta, I'm here.' Thorin rose and walked over to Dori.

Exhausted from a long day of riding and an evening of emotional angst, Meta fell asleep almost immediately. Unfortunately for Thorin, his mind was now the one remembering events of long ago. He sat and talked with Dori rather than trying to sleep.

**Never anger a dwarf, my friends. **


	8. The Shire

**Thanks for the reviews**!

**Shishi**,

**Thorin may be many things but he is not an assassin. A vigilante, yes, assassin, no.**

On her previous journey, Meta and the B's had skirted the edge of the Shire. 'The Little Folk don't much care for outsiders to tromp through their lands,' Bombur had explained. 'Being of the same mindset about our mountains, we try to respect their ways in public.' So they had taken a bypass road and Meta had gotten only glimpses of hobbits and hobbit life in the Shire.

Now Gandalf explained that they would travel into the heart of the Shire to pick up a burglar for their venture. 'I expect that you will all be on your best behavior when among the people here,' he warned. 'Enjoy yourselves, but do not get too boisterous!'

Remembering the B's at the _Prancing Pony_, Meta cringed. The hobbits she had met in Bree had been somewhat accustomed to dwarvish ways. She doubted the ones in the Shire would be. They ended their trek that evening at _The Green Dragon_ a very pretty country inn. The dwarves were the only guests but the common room filled quickly with hobbits once the day's chores were done.

Meta found a corner where she could observe the action. She wasn't very interested in drinking but she liked to listen to the songs and stories. Gandalf joined her. 'Well, Meta, how would you like to travel a bit with me in the morning?' he asked.

'Aren't we all going?' She had assumed that picking up a burglar was a matter of stopping at his door and continuing on.

Gandalf smiled. 'Eventually, yes, but tomorrow we will have to move rather carefully. You see, the burglar is unaware that he _is_ a burglar if you know what I mean!'

_Wizards! _Meta thought. Just when you think you might have an idea of what they are all about, they say something like this! 'Uh, how can he be a burglar but not a burglar?'

Now Gandalf laughed. 'Because_ I_ say he is a burglar, that's why!' He proceeded to tell her his plan. He knew of a likely fellow who might be convinced to join their venture. 'He was always a lively little lad in his younger days. Much more open to adventure than your average hobbit. He has a bit of the Old Took in him. And then he had to explain about the Old Took, etc and the evening was over before Meta realized it.

…

The next morning found Gandalf and Meta walking towards a place called Bag End. 'Bilbo's family was rather well off for hobbits. He has a very nice hole that I think you will enjoy seeing.' He went on to explain his plan: He and Meta would meet Bilbo that morning. 'He met me years ago, but it will be good to get reacquainted. If I think he will join us, I will return to the inn and send the rest of the company on in small groups. We don't want to spook him with too much, too soon. I want you to stay and make friends with him. If he feels comfortable with you, it will be easier to introduce the others. You know how they are, Meta. They can be a lot to face on a first go-around!'

'Tell me about it,' Meta sighed. 'If I hadn't needed travel companions in Bree, I would never have gone anywhere with the B's based on first impressions!'

'Good, then you understand what I am saying. Try to find out Bilbo's interests and anything that might keep him from leaving home.'

Meta agreed and they moved onto other topics. Gandalf asked, 'Tell me, Meta, how and why a dwarf-woman learned to defend herself as you do? I have met very few female dwarves and they lived sheltered, protected lives.

Meta smiled ruefully. 'I never lived among dwarves, Gandalf. The only dwarf I knew before the B's was my mother and she knew I might need to defend myself some day. My skills are not that great but they are good enough for most occasions. I wouldn't mind improving them when I have the time. Who in the company would you recommend?'

'Well, Thorin of course, but I don't know if he would bend enough to teach. Dwalin and Balin are very good, but Dwalin may not want to teach a woman. Fili and Kili are skilled as warriors, but I do not know if they have any teaching ability. You might ask each one if they would be willing.'

Meta didn't think he sounded too confident of that. 'I see I will have to continue to prove my abilities on my own. It has always been that way. First they have to look past the woman and then they have to see past the dwarf. Eventually, the Men I lived among accepted me. My teacher always encouraged me to believe only in myself and not to rely on others. Those words have served me well for a long time.'

Gandalf agreed. 'Very wise words, but sometimes we also have to work _together_ to accomplish our goals.'

'Speaking of goals, Gandalf, do you really believe we can defeat the dragon?' Meta had always been a bit skeptical of this part.

Gandalf thought for a moment before answering. 'I would never undertake the impossible, Meta. The improbable, yes, but not the impossible. I do think we have a chance or I wouldn't be here.'

'But how? Do you have a plan?' she persisted.

Gandalf smiled. 'For now? Get fourteen dwarves, one hobbit and one wizard to Erebor. After that, we'll see.'

Even though she knew the answer, she had to ask. 'Do you think it will be very dangerous?'

'The road is always dangerous, Meta. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security no matter where you are.'

Meta filed Gandalf's words in her mental folder of 'words to remember'. She had already found them to be all too true.

…

'Is this where Bilbo lives?' Meta stared open-mouthed at the beautiful landscape surrounding several hobbit holes.

Gandalf pointed to one that was higher than all the others. 'Yes, there is Bag End. It is the finest hole in all of Hobbiton.'

Meta stared a bit longer and then finally said, 'If this were my home,_ I_ would never leave!'

'And that is why I brought you. You must help me convince Bilbo that there is more to life than a fine home, good pipe weed and six meals a day!'

'Six! They really eat _six_ times a day? Elva told me they liked food but I didn't realize how much!'

'At least six times, sometimes more. It depends on the occasion. Oh, and don't remind Bilbo that life on the road can be a bit lean at times,' Gandalf suggested.

As they approached, Meta noticed a little hobbit sitting outside the green door. This must be the wonderful burglar Gandalf was so intent on recruiting. He looked like the other hobbits that she had seen, but then she hadn't really seen that many.

Meta stood and listened while Bilbo and Gandalf went through a rather confusing exchange of greetings. She heard Gandalf offer the chance at adventure, but she didn't think the hobbit sounded too interested. It appeared that the conversation was over when Gandalf motioned her forward. He had left her by some tall shrubs and this was the first time Bilbo noticed her. 'Bilbo, I would like you to meet Meta, one of my companions. I was hoping you would allow her to stay with you for the day while I conduct some minor business elsewhere.'

Bilbo stared at Meta. He always liked meeting knew folk and he had never met a dwarf-woman before, but he had been planning a nice quiet day by himself. 'He-he-hello,' he stammered half rising. 'I-I did have some plans….'

'Nonsense,' Gandalf scolded. 'You will never get this opportunity again, Mr. Baggins. Come and say a proper hello.'

Bilbo rose from his bench, came down and bowed to Meta. Finding his voice, he said, 'Good day, Miss Meta, a pleasure to meet you. Please forgive my rudeness.'

Meta bowed back. 'At your service and please call me Meta.' She noticed Gandalf had not said anything about burglaring so she stuck to the social niceties.

Gandalf stayed for awhile longer until Bilbo stopped tripping over his words. 'Now you must excuse me. Look for me later this evening. I'll bring those friends we talked about, Mr. Baggins. Enjoy your day!' and he was gone.

Bilbo stared after him and then stared at Meta. 'How come I have no idea what just happened? Who is coming later and for what?'

Meta smiled and continued the plot. 'Why, the other dwarves are coming for dinner! Remember, Gandalf said something about friends, you said how nice it was to have some, and you always tried to have a few over for dinner each month and it went from there!' She did her best to look wide-eyed and innocent.

'Oh, yes, of course, dinner. Did he say how many?' Bilbo's poor brain hurt.

Ignoring the question, Meta looked out over the landscape. 'What a beautiful place this is, Mr. Baggins. You are very fortunate.'

'Please call me Bilbo. And yes it is, isn't it?'

'I have to wonder why you are leaving. Are you not content with your life here?'

Bilbo frowned. 'I'm not leaving. I have a small party to attend to over in Buckland next week, but that is all.'

'But I thought you were our burglar!' Meta exclaimed. 'We cannot possibly get on the road without a burglar. It isn't done, you know,' she leaned over and whispered conspiratorially. 'No one would dream of going on an adventure without a burglar!'

Bilbo's eyes goggled in his head. 'Burglar! What makes you think I am a burglar?'

'Because Gandalf said you are! He's a wizard and wizards know everything. And you _know_ what they say about wizards.' She leaned back and stared up at the clouds letting the words drift away on the soft breeze.

Bilbo gulped nervously. 'No, no I don't know. Should I be worried?'

Meta had to laugh to herself. She liked this hobbit. He was so open and honest. 'Oh I would always worry where a wizard is concerned. They are quick to anger after all. It is best to do what they want and avoid any kind of confrontation.'

'But I really don't want to go anywhere!' the poor hobbit cried. 'Maybe when I was younger, yes, but I am too old now. I have standing, I have a reputation!'

'All very well, Bilbo, but Gandalf wants you to come and I really think you had better at least listen to his proposal. If you say _no_ right away, I can only guess what he might do,' Meta said.

'That seems like the polite thing to do. I can at least listen.' He sat next to her for a minute and then asked, 'But why are _you_ here, Meta. Are you a burglar?'

Now Meta laughed out loud. 'Me? Heavens, no, I am just one of the company; a hired sword so to speak. I am here for the adventure and to see the world. Who doesn't want adventure?'

'And have you had some? Adventures I mean. And was it fun?'

Meta tried not to show her feelings. Attacking miners and almost getting raped? 'Uh, well the adventure part hasn't started yet, but I'm sure when it comes we will enjoy it.' Bilbo's words made her hindbrain wake up and say, _Are you sure, Meta, are you really sure you want to go?_ 'Oh shut up,' she said and then realized she had spoken out loud. 'Sorry Bilbo,' she said to the offended hobbit. 'I don't mean you. Sometimes my brain says things it really shouldn't.'

Bilbo stared at the dwarf. 'Are the rest anything like you? And how many are there again?'

'Oh they are ever so nice,' Meta praised her companions. Again ignoring the second question, she went on and on about their bravery and their skills and…never said a word about how many there were. 'Come, Bilbo, if it isn't too rude to ask, Gandalf told me your home was beautiful. Would you show me?' She needed to get him away from so many questions.

The ploy worked. After food, Bilbo loved his home and possessions and was always happy to show them off. He started with a tour of the gardens and then moved inside. Between the several meals he served Meta, he showed her every square inch of Bag End. Before the pair knew it, the sunny windows had begun to turn grey with the coming twilight. 'My goodness, Bilbo, we had better start fixing dinner or there will be nothing for the others to eat.' Meta was so stuffed from all the other meals that the thought of another mouthful made her stomach cringe.

'How many did you say there were?' Bilbo tried again.

Ignoring him, Meta pulled out a large pot of simmering stew that was standing in the fireplace. 'This is perfect. We can just add a few more ingredients to make it stretch further.' She got the hobbit rustling around in his pantry bringing her this and that to be thrown in the pot. 'Bread goes well with stew. It's good to mop up spills with too!'

'Spills?' Bilbo asked. 'Are you expecting much in the way of spills?' Bilbo was a very persnickety hobbit when it came to messes.

'Oh, you know how it is with a group. Somebody always gets a little out of hand and the next thing you know, you have a spill.'

Before Bilbo could fuss any further, there was a pounding at the door. 'That must be the first ones, Bilbo. Why don't you go and get that while I stir the stew?'

Bilbo was already halfway to the door. He hated when people _pounded_ on his door. He had just had it painted and it was completely unnecessary. He wasn't deaf! 'I'm coming, I'm coming,' he yelled as the pounding continued. He flung the door open mid-pound and stared at the dwarf on his doorstep.

'Dwalin, at your service,' he said and walked through the door. 'Where's Meta?'

'In the kitchen, down that hall,' Bilbo pointed.

Without another word, the dwarf left Bilbo standing at the door and headed down the hall. Before he could follow, Bilbo heard a throat being cleared on his doorstep. He turned to find another dwarf waiting.

Dwalin hurried down the hall and found Meta sitting at a table in the kitchen leafing through a book. 'What's for dinner?' he said as his nose detected the stew.

'Stew,' Meta said. She rose to get a bowl, but before she gave it to the dwarf she said, 'I hope you all will all behave yourself at least a little tonight, Dwalin. Bilbo is a very gentle hobbit who would be most offended by the usual antics.'

Dwalin grinned at her, 'He best get used to it right away then, right?' He took the stew and commenced slurping it down where he stood. Bits of gravy flew out and splashed the table and part of the wall.

Meta could hear more and more voices at the front of the hobbit hole and the other dwarves soon began arriving in the kitchen. She gave each a bowl of stew and shooed them into a dining room. 'Go sit down and try not to make too much of a mess!' She knew it was hopeless but felt obligated to her new friend to at least try.

Bofur blew her a kiss and gave her one of his winks. 'Sure and we will all be on our best behaviors, Meta!' Those words made her wince more than any others.

Finally everyone but Thorin and Gandalf was seated. Bilbo stood in the kitchen with Meta watching as the dwarves vacuumed up the stew, the bread, the vegetables, the cheese, the ale and anything else they saw.

'What am I going to do for food, Meta? That was a month's or more rations!'

'It's a good thing, Bilbo. You wouldn't want it to go to waste when you leave!' She once again planted the seed.

Bilbo wavered. 'Well, I guess you might be right. I have been thinking it might be good to get awa…' Before he could commit to the journey, one of the dwarves (Nori?) thought it would be fun to throw a dish. Bilbo gasped and raced into the room to save his mother's porcelain.

Meta shook her head in disgust but with a smile on her face. She had seen enough of dwarvish pranks to know that nothing would get broken and that it really_ was_ all in fun. She only wished that they would wait until Bilbo was more used to dwarven ways.

Before things got too crazy, Gandalf arrived followed quickly by Thorin. They took in the scene and joined Meta in the kitchen. 'I see the company is getting acquainted,' Gandalf said with a smile. 'Is he coming with us, Meta?'

'He was until those oafs started in with the porcelain. Thorin, can't you stop them? Bilbo is such a fussbudget that this might be the last straw. He was on the edge of going but now he is worried about his possessions again!' Meta said.

'Me? You think I have any control over them when they get like this?' Thorin smiled. He saw her point but knew there wasn't much he could do. The more the hobbit fussed the worse the behavior would become.

'Hmmph,' Meta snorted. 'If that how this night is going to be, I want no part of it. I think I will head off to bed. I will get a better room if I go now anyway!' She shook her head in mock anger and strode into the rear of the hole. Bilbo had shown her a likely room earlier in the day and she had every intention of claiming it.

She fell asleep to the sounds of plates clinking and dwarves singing.

….

The next morning, Meta woke well before the others. She was pleased to note that the dwarves had cleaned and tidied everything up. Perhaps she was having an effect after all. Or not. Tiptoeing past sleeping bodies, she went into the kitchen and started some tea. A few minutes later, Bilbo wandered in still looking a little dazed.

'How are you doing, Bilbo?'Meta asked as she handed him a mug of tea.

Bilbo took the tea and sipped it cautiously. 'Are they always like that?'

'Like what?' she asked mischievously.

Bilbo stared at her in disbelief. How could she not know what he meant? Even though she had left early, the dwarves had roared and partied well into the night. 'Loud, rude, boisterous.'

'Oh, that. Why, yes, for the most part, but aren't they wonderful singers?'

Bilbo tilted his head to one side as if listening to the music from the night before. 'I guess so.'

'Well then, when we are on the road there isn't much else to do. You will be well versed in dwarf music and song by the time we reach Erebor.' Meta did not know what decisions had been reached so she continued to pretend all was settled and the hobbit was coming along.

'About that, I don't think I will be able to get away. Too many commitments. You understand. Dinner dates, picnic lunches. I cannot possibly cancel all that and leave.' His face blushed red. He had never told so many lies in his life and to a woman at that!

'Fuss and feathers, Bilbo, you are coming with us and that's that. How can you dream of leaving me to face the road alone with all those dwarves?' she cried in mock dismay. 'You yourself just commented how out of control they are. I need you as a buffer!'

'B-B-But you're a dwarf! You understand all of this. I'm a hobbit. We do _not_ behave like that.'

'First, I am a female and second I have spent very little time with dwarves.' She leaned forward and motioned to Bilbo to come closer. When he leaned forward, she whispered in his ear, 'I am as appalled by them as you are, Bilbo. Please come with me!'

Bilbo sat back and looked at her pleading eyes. 'I had no idea, Meta.' She could almost see the thoughts chasing around in his little head.

'Don't let me down, Bilbo, you're my only hope!' She had to bite her lip to keep the giggles in.

His eyes bright and eager, Bilbo said, 'Anything for you Meta. Of course I'll come along.'

A voice boomed from the door. 'Excellent! Did you hear that, Thorin? Bilbo is joining your merry band. Balin, where's the contract?'

Before Bilbo knew what was happening, the dwarf named Balin hurried in with a long strip of parchment in his hand. 'Standard clauses. We pay for all expenses incurred during the trip up to and including death expenses. Upon success, you will receive one-fifteenth of any proceeds. Sign here and here and here and here. Initial here and here and here.'

Standing with quill in hand Bilbo's brain tried to stop him one last time, but his eyes rested on the soft, pleading eyes of Meta and his hand signed the contract.

…

'Nice work, Meta,' Gandalf congratulated her. 'After the dish incident, I too thought we had lost him. Thorin is in your debt.'

'I hope I don't come to regret this someday, Gandalf. I would hate to think I lured that poor little hobbit into something he isn't prepared for,' Meta said. It had been a fun game at first, but now she realized he really was going to be in danger.

'There is more to that hobbit than any of us realize. In the end, we will be glad he is along,' Gandalf said mysteriously.

…

'Join me, Bilbo! You are my fourth B!' Meta said as Bilbo mounted his little pony. Once aboard, he nervously took up the reins and pretended to know what he was doing. The hobbit might have been ignorant, but the pony wasn't. It turned its nose toward its companions and took its place in line.

Meta and her B's rode along. She heard all about the night before. 'So there is a map and a key? How interesting. Where are we going now?'

'That remains to be seen. Thorin wants to go directly to Erebor, but Gandalf wants to stop and see if someone can read the map. Apparently there are some magic runes on it that are beyond his skill. They still haven't decided. For now, we are heading towards Bree.' Bombur smiled at the possibility of another evening at the _Prancing Pony_.

Meta didn't ask who the map reader was. She was fairly certain she knew the answer and it wasn't going to make her life any easier if she was right.

…..

Meta loved the Shire. With Bilbo explaining all the sights, she rode happily along. He pointed out inns and mills and farms. She learned who lived where and for how long. 'You seem to know everything about everybody, Bilbo! I can understand why you love it here.' Meta and her mother had lived in a town but not really participated in its daily life to the extent that Bilbo apparently did in the Shire. She was vaguely jealous.

'Oh it isn't just me, Meta. Family and friends are very important to us. I can recite my family tree back ten generations and let me tell you, hobbits have lots of children! It would take me more than two hours to do the whole thing,' he exclaimed. 'Would you like me to?' he asked with hopeful brown eyes.

'_NO_!' three male voices cried out in unison.

Meta smiled. 'Not today, Bilbo, some other time. Right now I would like to know all about that lovely little cottage over there.'

Following the direction her hand pointed, Bilbo was off and running. 'That is the ancestral home of the Proudfoots. What you need to know about the Proudfoots is….'

Bifur leaned over and poked Meta's shoulder. 'Why did you have to ask him that?'

'Because if I hadn't we would be listening to an endless recitations of begats and deaths. At least now there is some narrative,' Meta whispered.

'Good point,' Bifur said. 'We can always hope he runs out of steam here shortly.

Bilbo didn't run out of steam but eventually they ran out of Shire. The hobbit had no more tales about the countryside and slowly lapsed into silence. The company breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

**Poor Bilbo, conned by a pretty face…**


	9. A Very Cold Night

At last they reached Bree. Even though she knew Mot was dead, Meta couldn't help but look around uneasily at first. Perhaps there would be an attempt to arrest Thorin for his murder. Thorin himself looked completely unconcerned and when no offended citizens appeared Meta relaxed.

Butterbur was pleased to see a large group of travelers in general and Gandalf in particular. 'I always have good beer after that wizard visits,' he would tell anyone who listened. He was also pleased to see Meta again. 'Excellent timing, Miss Meta, Elva and Elroy are in town. Would you like me to send them a note and let them know you are here?'

'Certainly, Mr. Butterbur, I would love to see them again. Are they coming for the dinner hour?'

'They will if I send that note. I will save a nice table for the three of you unless you think some of your company would like to join you?' he asked uncertainly.

Meta laughed. 'I think it should just be me tonight. If we stay more than one day I might risk a mixed dinner, but the company is looking forward to their usual revelries.'

Butterbur nodded in understanding and got busy with his note.

….

When Meta returned to the common room later that evening, Elva and Elroy were already at their favorite table. When Elva saw Meta she immediately jumped to her feet and ran over to hug the dwarf-woman. 'Oh my dear, I was horrified when I heard what that terrible man did to you!' She leaned away and looked Meta over from head to toe. 'Are you alright?'

'Now Elva, you know very well that it happened quite some time ago. Of course she's alright,' Elroy interrupted. He could tell from her face that Meta was uncomfortable. 'How are you, dear girl? We are so glad to see you again and so soon! What brings you back to Bree? We thought you were going to settle in the Ered Luin?'

After hugging them both, Meta took her seat at the table. 'Things didn't work out as planned. There was really no place for me there that I liked. Dwarf-women my age are usually already married and when no man interested me, it became apparent that if I wanted to be an artisan, I would have to move on. Thorin organized this expedition about the time I was ready to leave so I joined.' She did not give any details. The company had agreed on the advice of Gandalf to be circumspect about their purpose.

Redirecting the conversation, Meta used the incident with Mot as a way to change the subject. 'Do-do you know what became of Mot?' she asked reluctantly. She didn't want to hear that a dwarf was a suspect in his murder.

Elroy shook his head. 'That animal! Bree is well rid of such as him. The very day he was released from charges, Annabelle was attacked here at the inn. She thought she was done for but someone pulled Mot off her, and she was able to get away. Poor thing hasn't been quite right since.'

Meta's heart leaped in sympathy. 'But what happened to him? Was he finally punished?'

Elva took over the tale. 'That's the mystery, Meta. Mot disappeared and neither hide nor hair has been found of him. Most folk think the stranger did him in, but you would expect to find a body. It's as though he vanished into thin air.'

'And the stranger? Didn't he have anything to say about it?' Meta pushed.

'Another mystery. Annabelle didn't get a good look at him and even if she had, the poor thing was so upset she wouldn't have made any sense. Nobody knows a thing about him and no one came forward to claim the deed,' Elva said. Leaning forward, she muttered intensely, 'Honestly, Meta, so many people love Annabelle, that if Mot shows his face here ever again, he will be torn to pieces. And as for you, well, your story was vindicated, I can tell you that!'

Meta relaxed at last. Not only was Thorin not going to be pursued, no one was going to look at her as some easy whore. 'Thank you, it has bothered me that people here thought I had led Mot on and deserved what he did.'

'We,' Elroy motioned to himself and Elva, 'never believed it for a minute. How Mot was able to convince so many is beyond me. He was always a shady character in my opinion. Bree is well-rid of him.'

Elva nodded her head vigorously in agreement. 'Now about these dwarves, Meta; are they treating you alright? I must say, you look well.'

'They are very kind. The three dwarves I traveled with originally are with me again and Thorin, our leader, is quite capable. You don't need to worry about me, but I appreciate it.'

Even as she spoke, Thorin and Balin entered the common room. Thorin saw the little group and walked over and introduced himself with a bow. 'I assume you are Elva and Elroy. Meta told me how kind you were to her, and I wanted to say _thank you_. Not everyone is so accommodating to dwarves.'

Elroy stood and bowed back to the dwarf. 'The world would be a better place if the races would only try a bit harder, Lord Thorin.' Even though Thorin had not introduced himself as a lord, Elroy knew enough about him to use the title.

'Please, call me Thorin. On the road, we are all equal.' Elroy invited him to sit, but Thorin declined. 'I have business to discuss with a few of my company. I thank you for the offer. I wanted to meet Meta's friends and assure you that I will take good care of her.'

After a few more polite niceties, Thorin left the trio to continue their reunion.

'He seems like a very nice dwarf, Meta,' Elva said approvingly. 'Better than some of the Men I have met in my day!' she huffed.

'Yes, you could have done worse, my dear, much worse,' Elroy added.

Meta smiled at the two protective friends. 'He has been very kind to me already, and his company thinks very highly of him.'

They sat for another few hours enjoying the antics (somewhat restrained by the presence of both Meta and Thorin) of the company before saying their farewells.

'Try and stop again and see us, Meta!' Elva said with one last hug. 'If we aren't in Bree, send a note and we can be here in less than a day.'

Meta hugged them both and promised to try and keep in touch. 'I don't think you will hear much for a few months. I believe we will be out in the wild for the most part.'

'Heavens, I would never do anything like that and neither would Elroy,' Elva cried.

Elroy agreed, 'Nope, never wanted to, never will. I like my nice warm fire too much to leave on some expedition.'

Meta watched them leave the inn with a heavy heart. Somehow she doubted she would ever see them again but sincerely hoped she was wrong.

…..

The company was on the road in the morning with much grumbling and complaining of aching heads and upset stomachs. 'If you don't want to feel like that, perhaps less beer is the answer!' Meta laughed as the B's joined the chorus of griping.

'Did ya hear that, Bif? She wants us to give up beer now!' groused Bofur.

'Not happenin,' replied Bifur with a grimace of pain as his pony missed a step and jounced his aching head.

Meta laughed again. 'I would never expect you to give up beer, my friends, only the loud complaining.'

Bombur added his two cents. 'It is all part of the process, Meta. If we don't complain, all that agony gets bottled up inside!'

She smiled and nodded. 'Very well, complain away. Far be it from me to stand in the way of a cure.'

…..

If they had been miserable in the morning from drink, everyone, drinker or not, was miserable later in the day when the rain began. At first it was a mere sprinkle or two but it soon settled down to a gentle soaking rain that worked its way into every inch of cloth and cover. Even with her hood up and her cloak drawn tight to her chin, the rain trickled down to Meta's skin.

Finally as the daylight faded, they happened upon a dilapidated cottage. 'We'll stop here for the night,' Thorin said. 'We will find nothing better.'

The ponies were unsaddled and led to an equally dilapidated stable and the company did its best to start a fire. The end result was smoky and sputtering and failed to bring the usual cheer most fires provided. Random drops of rain worked their way through the remaining thatch. Meta found a spot under a table to put her bedroll. When she opened her pack for dry clothes, she discovered that everything inside was damp at best and wet at worst. Shivering, she exchanged the damp clothes for her wet things in a convenient outhouse and returned to the near-worthless fire.

Most of the warmer spots were already taken. Meta had not really gotten to know anyone very well yet, and they didn't seem inclined to move on her account. She took her bowl of stew back to her bedroll and did her best to stop shivering.

…

Unlike most of the dwarves, Bofur liked to stand watch. It gave him a chance to clear his mind and work on his little songs and tunes. During the day he felt obligated to be funny and amusing, but he also had a more artistic side that he seldom allowed to show. In the middle of the night with the others snorting and snoring in the background, he was able to let the musician out for a little run. He didn't actually play anything lest he bother the sleepers, but he could work on fingerings and compose to his heart's content.

Tonight he was accompanied by the patter of rain on the thatch of the ruined cottage they had taken shelter in. The downpour had lessened so fewer drops were falling on his head. Still, the night was cold and miserable. The fire continually smoked and sputtered as rain drops fell onto its damp logs.

An hour into his shift he heard something other than the usual sleep sounds. At first he could not tell where it came from; he just knew it was different. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Someone was muttering and crying out softly. He knew immediately that it was Meta. Her voice was higher than anyone else's. Only she could make these sounds.

She usually placed her bedroll away from the others. 'You all snore too much!' she would say if anyone commented, but Bofur got the feeling she was uncomfortable with how closely the others all piled next to one another. Tonight she was to the left of the door under a rickety table. He moved slowly over to her trying not to step on anyone or make too much noise.

Meta was curled up in a ball, clutching at her blanket. She shivered and he could hear her teeth chatter. Even though it looked like she was freezing, he could tell she was asleep. Her eyes jerked and twitched under their lids and she muttered and cried out, '_No_!'

…..

The dreams came that night. The days were long and tiring and usually when she was that exhausted she slept like a log. Tonight however, the nightmares came on with a vengeance. She stood in a room full of noise. Metal clanged on metal. Voices screamed in rage and agony. The sound of flesh being invaded by sword and axe had a special, soft slithering sound. She had learned the sound when she cut off the dwarf's hand during the raid, and it had haunted her ever since.

She was holding her axe with sweat-soaked hands. Whether it was from fear, excitement or both she couldn't tell; her heart raced. Soon she would kill again. Part of her was sick with fear but part of her reveled at the thought. The face of one of her kills rose before her. His eyes were wide with surprise, his throat slashed open. Blood bubbles formed where the air escaped from his throat.

The man fell to the floor and a hand grabbed her foot. She looked down to see blood flowing endlessly over the floor. Her mother sat in a puddle of it. 'Is this what I raised you for, Meta?' she asked.

Meta struggled against the dream, crying and wishing it would end. '_No_!' She woke with a jerk. A hand was on her shoulder and she looked up to see a dark shadow looming over her. 'Stop! What do you want?' her confused brain tried to orient itself. Visions of Mot rose to the surface.

'Sh, sh. It's Bofur. You're alright. You were having a nightmare,' Bofur tried to quiet her cries before they woke the others.

Finally her eyes sorted out what was real from what was dream. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs trying to control her shivering. 'I'm alright. I'm sorry I worried you. It was just a bad dream.'

Bofur sat down beside her. 'Seemed like a whole lot more than that. I know you went on that raid with Thorin. Was that your first?'

She nodded. 'I didn't realize what it would be like. You can listen to a hundred tales, but it is completely different when it is real.' She looked him straight in his eyes. 'Have you ever killed anyone, Bofur?'

Bofur shook his head. 'Been in a few fights, but never anything like what you faced. I'm just a miner. Not too many reasons to kill someone on purpose underground. I'm sorry you had to go through that. It seems a bit harsh on Thorin's part.'

'Not really. He didn't think it would be as fierce as it was. He wanted to make sure Ori and I could handle a fight.' She continued to shiver.

Bofur pulled the cape off his shoulders and wrapped it around her. 'You're freezing! Why not move closer to the fire? This is the coldest part of this frigid little cottage.' He wrapped his hands over hers.

She slid them away and grabbed the edges of the cape tightly together. 'I don't like to be in a crowd and there's no room.' She didn't add any more, but again Bofur got the feeling there was more to it than that. Now _his_ mind turned to Mot.

'Suit yourself. I could get you a cup of hot water. That might help. Even if you didn't drink it you could use it to warm your hands.'

Once again she suppressed a shiver. 'That would be nice. Thank you.'

Bofur moved to the fire and put a small kettle on top of the little blaze. A few minutes later he handed her a mug. 'Careful, it's hot.'

She took the mug and closed her icy fingers around it. The warmth began to soak into her hands. She shivered again. 'Thank you. This will help. Shouldn't you be on watch or something? I don't want to get you in trouble.'

'Aye, I'll go back to the door, not that anyone with a brain would be out on a night like this. If you need anything else let me know.' He stood and moved back to his stool already humming a new tune.

Meta drank the water and settled back down into her blanket. The warmth didn't last long. Not only was she cold but her clothes were still damp. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get warm. It was a mystery how she had gotten to sleep the first time. Now it was hopeless. She looked at the fire. It was still smoky and didn't look very hot. Plus the others were so close to it there was no room for her. In frustration, she stood with her blanket and his cape and went over to Bofur.

'It's no use. I don't think I will ever be warm again. Or sleep again.' She sat down on the floor just inside the door beside his stool. She handed him his cape back. 'No reason both of us should freeze.'

'Keep it for now. I'm used to the cold.' He eyed her cautiously. 'There is one other thing we could try, but I hesitate to suggest it.'

Meta clenched her hands together and tried to fight off another round of shivering. 'At this point, I'm open to anything.'

'Well, it's only a suggestion, but if you leaned up against me, perhaps some of my heat would soak into your bones.' He smiled tentatively at her. 'Nothing personal or anything, but it might help.'

Meta looked at him suspiciously. None of the dwarf-men had done anything the least bit offensive and she didn't think this was meant to be. Bofur truly looked like he thought it would work. Another wave of shivers struck and her teeth chattered. 'I'm willing to try anything at this point. How do you want to do it?'

Bofur stood and moved the blanket he had on the stool to the ground. He sat near one end and motioned her to sit between his legs. 'Sit here. I'll wrap your blanket and the cape around you and then hug you close to my chest. Can you sit on your feet at all? Feet are difficult little critters to keep warm. Warm your feet and the rest of you follows.'

Again Meta reviewed the plan. This was closer than she had ever been to any man in her life and it made her uncomfortable, but the cold was worse. She slowly sat with her back to his chest and her feet tucked in, clutching her blanket around her body. Bofur put the cape over all.

'Now whenever you're ready, lean back against me. I promise I won't bite,' he whispered.

Meta glared at him over her shoulder but gradually leaned back. When he was supporting her weight, Bofur said, 'Do you mind if I put my arms around you, Meta? It will help even more.'

Already she could feel his body heat against her back. 'I think that would be alright. Thank you, Bofur. This is above and beyond the call of duty.'

Bofur wrapped his arms around the shivering woman. As odd as it was for her, it was no less odd for him. He had never been this close to a woman in his life. He found it rather nice. 'Relax and try to get some sleep. We will have another hard day tomorrow. Or rather today,' he corrected. It must be after midnight by now.

She burrowed a little deeper into his arms. Already she felt warmer than she had in hours. With a little sigh, her exhausted body closed its eyes and drifted off to sleep.

…

An hour later, Kili walked up to relieve Bofur from his watch. He took in the unusual scene before him and then said, 'Is this a new task, Bofur?'

Meta was now curled up in a ball facing Bofur, her face buried in his neck. He had put his hat on her head at one point in the hope it would warm her even more, and it seemed to have worked. The shivering had stopped and her hands now were tucked warmly inside his coat. 'Don't wake her. She was freezing and this was all I could think to try. It's kind of nice actually.' He grinned up at Kili.

'Well, keep up the good work, Bofur; it looks like she is quite happy now!' Kili took Bofur's stool. 'Are you going to be able to sleep like that? It doesn't look very comfortable.'

'More comfortable than I ever dreamed possible,' Bofur said softly. Now that his watch was over, he leaned back against the side of the cottage. Meta's body followed his and she snuggled a little more tightly against him. He sighed and drifted off into dreams of his own.

…

She woke warm and comfortable. It was still dark but the morning birds were starting to chirp and rustle in the nearby shrubbery. Somehow she had gained a hat in the night and not any hat but Bofur's goofy hat! It was perched atop her head and it was very warm. Now she realized that she had her hands inside his coat and that she was facing his chest. She would have moved away but he still had his arms wrapped around her.

Slowly pulling her hands back, she tried to at least turn her back to him, but it didn't work. His eyes popped open and he smiled at her. 'All warm and toasty at last I see!' He reluctantly loosened his arms. He could sense her discomfort at their position.

'Th-thank you again, Bofur. I really did manage to get warm, but your poor legs must be numb!' She uncurled herself and stood up. She handed him back his hat.

Bofur laughed. 'My legs are fine! I think I will just sit here for another minute or two,' he assured her. He watched as she walked to the rear of the cottage to take advantage of the ancient outhouse.

Fili, who had relieved Kili, watched the exchange. 'Need a hand, old buddy?' he asked.

Bofur grunted. 'Most definitely. I don't think I will ever be able to walk right again but don't you ever tell Meta! I may never be that close to a woman again in my life, and it was worth every pin and needle.' He closed his eyes and savored the last little sense of her leaning against him so trustingly.

**Don't worry, the paralysis is only temporary…**


	10. Trolls, Trolls, Trolls

The company reveled in the new day. After all the rain, the sky cleared and the sun rose to dry out land, dwarf and hobbit. Meta changed her clothes and did her best to dry everything out by hanging it over Baru's neck piece by piece. The little pony wasn't happy, but he didn't protest too much.

They slowly climbed into the rugged hills along a narrow track. Meta's bones ached with the constant lurch and roll in the saddle. Finally as the sun went down, Thorin called for them to stop and set up camp. There was a little glade with a small stream that looked promising.

Meta slumped down on a log still holding Baru's reins. The pony shuffled his feet and nudged her shoulder repeatedly. 'Stop it, Baru. It's been a long day for me, too.' She absentmindedly rubbed his nose and hummed a little tune to soothe him. It didn't work. He continued to yank at the reins and skitter around her. Finally she gave in to his demands and stood up. However, even after his saddle and packs were off, the pony seemed anxious.

'What _is_ the matter, Baru? You are usually such a good boy!' She noticed that his nostrils were flaring as he jerked his head up and down. She tied him to a branch and walked out and away from the rest of the group. Tilting her head back, she took in a deep breath and then another. Perhaps she was being influenced by Baru, but she thought she detected just a hint of a foul scent in the air. She walked even further into the surrounding wood and tested the air again.

Returning to the campsite, she found Thorin and Balin. Gandalf was nowhere to be seen. Too bad, she would have liked his opinion. 'My lord, er, Thorin,' she remembered to drop the title, 'I don't think we should stay here. Baru is nervous, and there is an odor hanging over the trees that disturbs me.'

Thorin might have paid attention to her warning, but she made the mistake of speaking the pony's name. It immediately put him in a contrary mood. 'A smell? You want us to move on after a long day because of a smell and a pony?' he scoffed. 'I know dwarf-women have a better sense of smell than we feeble men, but I will not move a camp because you don't like a smell!'

Meta stared at him. 'I have no idea what you mean about a better sense of smell. All I know is that the animal is restless and something doesn't seem right. Why don't we move on before everyone gets too settled?' she tried one last time.

Thorin turned to Balin. 'What do you think, old boy? Should we make everyone pack up and move on again because of a noxious smell?' Meta heard the sneer in his voice.

Balin snorted. 'If I moved every time something smelled bad, I would never get to rest. Someone probably needs a bath, Meta. Go back and help set up camp. What could possibly be lurking out in this empty land?'

Defeated, Meta went back to Baru. She led him as far away from the camp as she dared. He was still edgy but seemed a bit better. 'I trust you, Baru. There is something here that I don't like, but we can't go off on our own.' She took out her bedroll and when the food was ready, brought her share back and sat with the pony to eat.

Baru finally settled into a light doze. Meta realized that the wind had shifted and the pony no longer was picking up the disturbing scent. The others had gathered around the fire to smoke and belch. Meta appreciated neither so she did not join them. She sat and thought about the wind direction earlier in the evening and where it was now. Thinking it was probably a stupid thing to do, she began to walk in the direction that she thought the smell came from.

One of Bilbo's claims to fame was his ability to walk quietly and be all but invisible. Meta didn't have the invisible part down, but she was good at quiet. Slipping among the trees, she worked extra hard at being silent. She began to see signs of one or more large '_somethings_' having crashed recklessly through the woods. She came out onto a path. Bushes were squashed and tree limbs broken off along an area perpendicular to her current route. The smell had grown in intensity. It reminded her of meat well past its prime. Her nose twitched as a particularly fetid wave wafted past her.

'_The smart thing to do would be to turn around and go belch with the company_,' she said to herself. However, she was peeved that Thorin had ignored her warning and wanted to prove to him (and to herself) that something (or a few somethings) was out here. She turned to her right and followed the path staying just off of it under the cover of the trees.

The path grew wider and more crushed as she went, but she still did not see another living creature. She stopped. That in itself was a warning. At this time in the evening, she should be able to hear the rustling and scurrying of forest animals either coming out for the night or returning home. Instead the silence was complete. It was as though everything was waiting and holding its collective breath in the face of danger. Once again she argued with herself to turn back, but she slowly continued on.

At last the path ended at a cliff face. Bushes covered much of it, but the track led through them. Meta slithered up to the rock face and began to edge along it. The dark was now complete and her only light came from the moon. It was still as silent as a grave in the forest which she saw as a good sign. Whoever made the path most likely did not move quietly. Her hand led her along the wall and suddenly it felt an opening. Ever so slowly she peered around the frame of a stout wooden door which stood slightly ajar.

'_You are the stupidest dwarf in Middle-earth, Meta,_' she scolded. '_Turn around and go tell the others what you found_!' half of her said. The other half ignored her and continued on. She was reassured by a lack of light coming through the door. Of course, this meant that it would be very hard for her to see anything. Fortunately for foolish adventure, she saw a small lantern hanging from a hook on the door. She lit it with her flint and used her body to shield its pleasant glow. Keeping it turned low, she walked through the door.

Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. She nearly gagged at the stench. The smell had been gradually growing more intense as she neared the door, but once she went through it the odor was almost overpowering. It was so strong her eyes watered. '_That's it, I'm done_,' she said. And that would have been the case except the lantern's light fell across something a bit further in that gleamed and glittered in its wan light.

Meta was a dwarf and Meta was a jeweler and Meta could be as greedy as either of those two people. Now they were merged into one individual. She quickly looked behind her and still saw no sign of anyone. '_I'll just see what that one little gleam is, and then I'll go_.' She took a few steps into the cavern and was soon looking down into a bowl filled with pieces of fine but dirty jewelry.

Throwing caution to the wind, she turned up the lantern so she could see better. Even though the cavern stank, she sucked in a deep breath in amazement. This was fine Elven jewelry and it was very old! Choking once more on the stench, she picked up a pin. It was a flower design with tendrils that swirled and curled around it in the most amazing way. White jewels large and small were interwoven with the fine metalwork. She tucked it quickly into her pocket followed by the rest and almost turned to leave. '_What if there is more like that one further in_?' the naughty voice asked.

'_You still don't know what lives here, Meta_,' the good voice said. '_Take your treasure and go_!' The naughty voice won the argument and Meta took several more steps into the room. Her foot came down on something that crunched underfoot. She shone the lantern on the floor to light her way and nearly wet herself. Bones, bones and more bones covered the floor. From where she stood, they stretched into the dark. '_Run_!' said the two voices and Meta's body agreed. She turned and ran back to the door.

'_Light_!' yelled one of the voices and she doused the lantern before she went back outside. Running as quickly as she could Meta retraced her steps this time down the middle of the path to save time and because it was quieter than crashing through the undergrowth in the dark. Luck was with her and she found the place where she had joined the path originally. Finally she realized she was almost to the campsite and paused to catch her breath. She didn't want the others to think she was in a panic.

Somewhat recovered, she pushed through the last of the shrubbery and was all prepared to say, 'See I told you so!' but there was no one there. The fire had burned down but was still producing a decent flame. The various bedrolls were lying in the usual place and the dinner plates had not been scrubbed yet. It was as if the entire party had suddenly gotten up and went for a stroll.

Meta stood and assessed the situation. She realized that while no one had been in the cavern, that didn't mean they hadn't been somewhere nearby. Lighting a torch, she searched the area to see if there were any signs of a fight but there were none. However, she could see where it looked like several people had pushed into the undergrowth. It wasn't a well worn path, but it headed towards the general area that she had just returned from.

'Now what_?_' she asked the voices. 'Wait for them to come back or follow_?' Whatever lives in that cavern will not hesitate to kill them all. You better follow,' _the voices were in agreement for once. 'I was afraid you would say that,' Meta said. Holding the torch low to the ground so it wasn't too obvious, she started down the faint path.

After a brief hike, a booming voice warned her to snuff the torch. A short distance ahead, she caught a glimpse of a fire through the trees. Not one but several voices were talking and making no attempt to hide. Before she could creep any closer, a small voice whispered, 'Meta! Thank goodness you're here!'

For the second time in one evening, Meta almost wet her pants. 'Bilbo, you scared me half to death! What is going on? Where is everyone?' she hissed.

'Trolls. There are three trolls and they have got the company all bagged up and ready for dinner,' Bilbo said sadly. 'It's all my fault. I'm not a good enough burglar.'

'No time for blame, Mr. Baggins. We have to think of something. Tell me exactly what happened.'

Bilbo told her about seeing a light and being sent to investigate. 'If I had only gone back and not tried to steal something, this wouldn't have happened,' he moaned. 'I _told_ them I'm not a burglar!'

If it hadn't been such a serious situation, Meta would have laughed at his mournful tone. 'Well, the important thing now is to delay dinner,' she said. 'You said they aren't very bright?'

'Kind of stupid if you ask me. They keep getting in each other's way and arguing. Otherwise, they would have cooked somebody by now!' Bilbo told her.

'Do you remember the song I taught you the other day? The nonsense song?' Meta asked.

Bilbo smiled into the dark. 'I love that song! Yes, I remember it quite well. The Shire folk will love it when I teach it to them,' he paused, 'if I ever get back, anyway.'

Meta took him by the shoulders. 'You'll get back. Now, here is what we are going to do….'

…..

Thorin was angry. Angry at that dratted wizard who had disappeared, angry at that dratted hobbit who had disappeared and angry at himself for being tied up in a sack waiting to be eaten. Meta had tried to warn him, but he had dismissed her without a second thought. Come to think of it, maybe he needed to be angry at her too. As far as he could tell, she had disappeared also.

The three trolls were busy setting up a pot, conveniently dwarf-sized. It did not bode well for Thorin ever seeing Erebor again. Or anything else! They took turns adding buckets of water and mentioning various cooking methods. Even as the one called Bert picked up Dori, removed his sack and starting stripping his clothes off, a sweet feminine voice began to sing at the edge of the clearing.

_Oh, I was born one night one morn' when the whistle went toot toot,_

_You can fry a cake and bake a steak when the mud pies are in bloom!_

_Does six and six make nine? Does ice grow on a vine? _

_And is sad sack Moe a pesky foe in the good old summertime?'_

The trolls' heads came up from their labors and they stared at each other. 'Whuh's that, Bert?' asked the one named Tom.

Bert snarled, 'More pesky dwarves. There must be a right big nest of 'em out here. Them and the burrahobbits. Bill, go and get it.'

Bill reluctantly moved toward the voice, but as soon as he took a step, the voice sang out from the other side of the glade.

_Oh, loopty, loop and noodle soup and give your socks a shine,_

_I'm guilty judge I stole the fudge, three cheers for old man time!_

'That don't make no sense, Bert,' Tom said. 'Songs is supposed to tell stories. How can you shine your socks or fry a cake?'

'It don't matter, Tom. Help Bill find that dratted singer and get it in the pot!' Bert commanded. He had put Dori back half undressed into his sack. He strode confidently in the direction of the song but now it came from another direction.

_I cannot tell a lie, I hocked an apple pie,_

_Twas on a tree beneath the sea,_

_Above the clear blue sky!_

The voices taunted and moved around the fire, first in one place and then another. The dwarves stopped trying to follow the sound because it was making them dizzy trying to keep up. It seemed to go on for hours.

At last all three trolls began to flail among the bushes. The little voice moved swiftly from side to side in rapid verses. The dwarves watched it all in amazement. They could tell it was two different voices, but the trolls were convinced that it was only one and that it was using magic.

'Be careful, boys,' Bert warned. 'If it can move like that, who knows what else it'll do. Wouldn't want to get changed into somethin' unnatural now would ya?' He made a mighty lunge into a bush and came up with a struggling Bilbo in his hand. 'Gotcha! Knew it was the burrahobbit. Into the pot with you, clothes and all!' He suspended the squirming hobbit over the steaming pot.

'Oh, please don't cook me!' Bilbo squealed. 'Hobbits are too tough and chewy!'

Bert grinned and said, 'Don't care what ya taste like at this point. I just want to shut you up!' Bilbo pulled his toes back from the hot water as Bert lowered him down.

The voice broke out in the woods again in a slightly more desperate tone.

_If geese's eggs don't shave their legs, then they shall all be ducks._

_I'd rather buy a lemon pie for forty-seven bucks._

Tom made a leap toward the voice and slithered face first into a pile of vines. A struggle broke out and leaves and twigs exploded upward. The voice screamed and swore. 'Let me go, you big oaf!'

Tom screeched in pain but didn't let go. He stood up and hoisted Meta in the air by her foot in triumph. 'Look what I got, Bert! It's a girl!'

Bert yanked Bilbo away from the pot and lurched over to see the new prize. Bill joined in as they examined her. 'Aren't ladies supposed to be nice and tender?' Tom asked.

'Watch out!' Bill yelled as Meta twisted herself up and bit Tom's wrist.

Tom flung her away and yowled in pain. Bilbo wriggled in Bert's grasp and was dropped on his head for his effort. Bill bent over to recapture Meta but it was too late. A voice boomed out, '_Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!' _The sun's first rays broke over the horizon and shone upon the startled trolls. With various looks of stunned fear and surprise, the trolls turned into stone.

Gandalf walked into the clearing and surveyed the scene. The dwarves were in sacks, Bilbo was whimpering in pain and Meta was picking leaves out of her hair. He bent down and started untying sacks. 'I leave you alone for a few hours and this is what I return to!'

Thorin pulled his sack off and snarled, 'And where exactly did you go? We could have used a little help.'

Gandalf laughed. 'Oh, I don't know about that. You seem to be in fairly competent and entertaining hands.' He reached over and pulled Bilbo to his feet and then went over to assist Meta. 'I could not have done better myself.'

…..

'And just where _did_ you go?' Thorin asked Gandalf again when he was free of his sack.

Gandalf smiled and said, 'I was surveying our road ahead. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to what lay behind.'

Unsatisfied, Thorin turned on Meta next. 'And you! What happened to you?'

Meta only stared at him and combed the last of the leaves from her hair. 'I told you there was something wrong here, but you wouldn't listen. I went to find out if I was right and I was! There is a cave not far from here that may be of interest to everyone.' She stood up and started pushing her way through the dwarves.

Gandalf, Thorin and the rest followed behind. There was a well-worn path leading from the fire pit to the cave. 'Congratulations, Thorin! Even before you regain Erebor it looks like you are the owner of a troll hoard!' Gandalf said as he peered into the door. 'Of course, you will have to climb over a few of their victims to collect it.'

Nothing motivates a dwarf to face dirty work like the reward of gold. Meta barely managed to maintain her place in front. '_I found it_! Don't you dare try and trample me!' she exclaimed as Nori and Dori tried to push past her.

'Stop it!' Thorin shouted. 'Meta's right. She found it so she can go first.' He gallantly stood aside and waved her ahead. This was in part a matter of honor, but he also had gotten a good whiff of the stench from inside and was in no hurry to venture inside.

Remembering the gleams she had seen further in, Meta took a deep breath and ignored the bones under foot. She headed into the deeper recesses of the stinking hoard to see what she could find. The other dwarves followed and were soon engrossed in scooping up the gold coins scattered across the ground and exploring various boxes and cupboards. Meta's daring was rewarded when she found that the gleam had come from a collection of loose gems! Knowing that she would not be able to take everything, she swiftly sorted them and slipped the best ones into her pockets. A few more beautiful pieces of jewelry found their way into them also.

The rest she gathered into a pile and sighed with regret at not being able to bring them along. When she turned around to head out for some fresh air, she saw that the others were digging a hole to hide the loot. 'What a wonderful idea!' She quickly located a small chest and filled it with her extra treasures. Picking it up, she approached the diggers one of which was Bofur. 'Do I need a hole of my own or can I borrow some of yours?' she asked.

Nori looked up from his half of the hole and remembered how she cut him off at the door. 'Dig your own hole, missy. This one's mine!' he groused and returned to his labors.

'Not so fast, Nori. Half the hole is mine and she is welcome to a little corner,' Bofur offered. He quickly drove his shovel into the side of the hole a few times and made a spot for the chest she held. 'There, just the right size, my lady.' He took his hat off and bowed as she placed the little box in its spot.

'Thank you, gentlemen. Who knows if I will ever be able to retrieve it, but it is nice to know I at least have a chance,' Meta said.

'Humph!' snorted Nori. 'There will be a rental charge if I have any say in the matter.' He returned to his task and ignored the others.

Her treasure secured, Meta wandered back to see what else had been claimed. Bilbo was waving around a small Elven blade and Gandalf and Thorin had appropriated two fine swords. 'These should provide good service, Thorin.' At first Thorin resisted because it looked a bit too Elvish, but he relented when he saw the gold accents and the quality of the blade.

**_Note: Credit to an anonymous author (to me anyway) of the Nonsense Song. I learned it decades ago at camp and have remembered it ever since. I did change a few words to make it fit into the world of Middle-earth, but 99 % of it is how I learned it. It truly is nonsense!_**

…

Back on the road again, the dwarves groused all day long about being put into sacks. 'It's all Bilbo's fault,' said Dori. Since he had been first on the menu, he was madder than all the others.

Meta listened to the grumblings but didn't comment. She knew anything she said would be ignored or bring teasing down on her head. She had yet to earn a place in the company with anyone other than her B's. Fili and Kili did their best to raise everyone's spirits. They thought the whole thing had been a great adventure now that the danger was past.

'You should have heard your scream, Bilbo!' Kili mocked. 'Almost like a little girl. Even Meta didn't sound that bad!'

Seeing one of her B's attacked, Meta finally had to comment. 'At least neither one of us seems to have ended up on the menu quite so soon, Kili! If not for Bilbo, you would be Kili stew by now!'

Now Fili jumped into the fray. He hadn't cared much for her presence from the beginning, and now he wasn't going to stand by and watch his brother teased.

'I want to know why you ran and hid.' Even though she had found the hoard, he still didn't believe she had just walked to it.

Meta glared at him. 'I didn't run, and I didn't hide. I came to see what happened as soon as I realized you were all gone. And how on earth did you _all_ manage to get caught? A little caution may be called for in the future unless you are going to troop in to see Smaug as a company? I guarantee if that is the case, I _will_ be running and hiding!'

'Hiding is not the way true dwarves act, Miss Mighty Meta!' Fili retorted. 'We face danger head on and welcome it!'

'And wind up in soup pots!' Meta muttered under her breath.

Before things got uglier, Balin rode back to find what all the shouting was about. He saw Fili and Meta's red faces and guessed what was going on. 'A little less yelling and a little more riding, please. We cannot be certain there are no more trolls or other evil creatures lurking in these hills.'

Abashed to have been caught acting so pettily, Meta pulled Baru back to where her B's were while Fili and Kili kicked their ponies into a trot to regain their place with Thorin. 'Thank you for defending me, Meta,' Bilbo said.

'You shouldn't need defending, Bilbo. They should be thanking, not teasing. Spoiled brats.'

'Don't let them hear you call them that, Meta,' Bombur warned. 'They'll never leave you alone if they do.'

'I won't. I don't really think they are spoiled anyway. I just don't like teasing no matter how much _fun_ it's supposed to be. One side or the other usually gets hurt.' Changing the subject she remembered Thorin's words of the night before. 'What did Thorin mean when he said dwarf-women have a better sense of smell? My mother never mentioned that to me.'

Bofur answered, 'It has always been said that dwarf-women can smell better than the men, but I think that is only an excuse for the dwarf-men when the women want us to take baths!'

Quick agreement came from Bifur. 'My amad would make me take one every week. She said I stunk and then my adad would say he didn't smell a thing. When he did that, she would make him take one too!' The B's roared with laughter.

'You may have a better sense of smell or you may not, Meta. It is obvious in this case that you did.' Bombur added. 'Those trolls got us one by one and none of us smelled anything until the very end.'

Meta thought the rumor must be true. How could anyone have missed the stench of that cave? 'I'll remember that in the future. And I'll be sure to let you know when it is time for a bath!

….

Throughout the day, it was obvious Thorin and Gandalf were having some sort of disagreement. Too far back to hear anything, Meta could see it by the gestures and body posture of the two at the head of the column. On a break, she dared to ask Gloin what was happening. Gloin and his brother had followed Balin and Dwalin and were in a better position to hear.

Gloin stared at her in a somewhat unfriendly manner. He hadn't quite decided whether he wanted a female on this journey or not. He was leaning towards _not_ but his faith in Thorin prevented him from being rude. 'Not that it is any of your business, but Gandalf wishes to go to Rivendell and Thorin is refusing.'

'Rivendell! I had no idea we were going there!' Meta exclaimed. 'Why would Thorin refuse? It is a beautiful place.'

Gloin narrowed his eyes at her words. 'Because it is full of Elves, that's why, and what would_ you_ know about Rivendell?'

Treading on dangerous ground, Meta retreated. 'I-I have heard stories from the folk in my village,' she said lamely.

Somewhat satisfied, Gloin added, 'Bad enough you gave your pony that foolish name. Don't talk Rivendell with Thorin. Gandalf seems to think the elf there can read his map, but Thorin is still resisting.'

'And you, Gloin? Do you hate elves too?' she asked.

'Hate may be too strong a word; I have no use for them. I will follow Thorin in whatever he decides.' The dwarf turned away and abruptly ended the conversation.


	11. Revelations in Rivendell

They trudged along the road weary from the rigors of the journey. At last Meta began to think she recognized some of the ravines that they worked their way through. It had been decades since she had been anywhere near here, but there was a feeling, a sense of the familiar about it all. Gandalf really was bringing them to Rivendell!

At last they passed through the final ravine and walked the last path. They stood in a courtyard surrounded by high cliffs and plunging waterfalls. It was as magical as she had remembered. She took a deep breath and it smelled like home. Her reverie was shattered by the grumbling and grousing of her fellow dwarves.

'Elves! We have to stay with Elves? Really Gandalf, this is almost too much,' Dwalin complained.

'My dear Dwalin, you may leave at any time. However if you wish to continue to eat for any length of time, I suggest you hold your tongue and act as politely as you can manage!' the wizard retorted. 'Lord Elrond is our only chance to continue this adventure. Without his help we can neither go forward nor return without facing dire consequences.'

The dwarves quieted but there was still muttering and cursing through many a bearded mouth. Meta shook her head in dismay. How could anyone have such a poor opinion of Elves? They could be priggish and snooty she knew, but in general they were well-intentioned.

A group of Elves approached down one of the walkways from above. Meta recognized Elrond at its head. The moment of truth was at hand if he noticed her. While she didn't try to hide, she also didn't push to the front of the company. Let the chips fall where they may. Thorin and the rest would discover her secret eventually.

Gandalf greeted Elrond and they held a quiet conversation while the dwarves milled around trying to behave. At last, the two faced the group. 'Lord Elrond is quite willing to have you as his guests. He has also promised to give us supplies for the next leg of our journey.' With this glad news, the dwarves managed a rigid smile or two. Some even bowed their heads in thanks.

Gandalf continued, 'Allow me to introduce our leader, Thorin Oakenshield.' Thorin stood forward and bowed his head ever so slightly in acknowledgment.

'Greetings, Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. You are most welcome in Rivendell. Long ago I knew your grandfather. He was a worthy king.'

Thorin said, 'Thank you. I am honored.' He bowed his head slightly yet again.

Elrond surveyed the rest of the crowd. 'And welcome home, Meta, daughter of Brin.'

The dwarves all turned to stare at her when these surprising words were uttered. With a sigh, Meta bowed in acknowledgment. 'Thank you, Lord Elrond. It has been too long,' she said in Sindarin.

She noticed Thorin staring at her not with outrage but with confusion written on his face.

The diplomatic niceties exchanged, the dwarves were shown to their rooms. When the attendant tried to put Meta in a room with Bombur, she protested. 'I know I may be a bit grubby, but I am a woman nonetheless. I would prefer a room to myself.' She tilted her chin back so that the elf could have a better look at her features.

'My most humble apologies, my lady. We seldom get any travelers at all let alone those of a gentler nature, and I assumed that to be the case. I shall see to a room for you immediately.' He bowed in apology and led the rest of the company to their quarters. Meta trailed behind not knowing what else to do.

Finally she was shown to a room a short distance from the others. It had a lovely balcony that opened out over one of the deep ravines. She stood and took in deep invigorating breaths of the soft fragrant air. It was good to be back. What would happen if she stopped here? It only took her a moment to remember why she and her mother had left so long ago. While Rivendell could be lovely for a few years, after awhile the eternity of the place began to wear on one's nerves. She was used to an active life. The peace of Rivendell was best experienced in small doses, at least for her.

….

Freshly bathed and clad in clean clothes for the first time in ages, Meta worked her way to the dining hall. Elrond had invited the group to a welcoming dinner. Meta hoped they would at least try to be polite. She didn't hold out much hope.

Half the company was there before her. She wandered over to a table with Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and Bilbo. 'So, what do you think of Rivendell?' she asked them.

Bombur was busily filling his plate with bread and butter but took the time to nod happily and say, 'Could be worse!'

Bifur paused in his investigation of the salad greens. 'The room is nice and clean. Too bad you decided we weren't worthy of your presence,' he said with a mild leer.

Bofur kicked him under the table. 'Mind your manners, you lout.' He smiled at Meta. 'I must admit, it is a bit different from what I imagined. I always thought Elves stood around singing and playing music all day.'

'They do sometimes, but they work also. Someone must make the food and mend the clothes after all. It isn't done by magic!' She smiled at him. He really was the nicest of the bunch.

'I love it!' said Bilbo. 'I always dreamed of seeing it and here I am!' The little hobbit's head kept swiveling this way and that trying to take in all of Rivendell.

'How do you know so much about Elves, Meta?' Bifur asked. 'Why did Elrond welcome you back?'

Meta used the arrival of a trio of musicians to ignore the questions. 'See Bofur, here is the music!' She clapped her hands. Waiters brought platters of food and goblets of wine. Mouths were used for other things than asking uncomfortable questions at least for a short time.

After dinner, the room gradually emptied of the dwarf contingent. Meta was enjoying the music so much that she didn't even notice. Bofur chose to stay also. Although he wasn't a huge fan of the music, he was learning a lot by watching the elves' technique and listening to the way they sang their songs. It was very different from anything he did himself.

Thorin and Gandalf were sharing a table with Elrond. Thorin had managed to remain on good terms throughout the evening especially after Elrond gave him the good news about his new sword, Orcrist. Nothing made a dwarf happier than a fine weapon and this one sounded very promising.

'When did Meta join your company, Thorin? I have not seen her for many years,' Elrond asked innocently.

Thorin's head jerked up from his dessert and his eyes narrowed. 'Meta? What do _you_ know of Meta?'

Elrond looked puzzled. 'I thought she would have told you. She was born and raised here.'

Thorin turned and glared at Meta. Her head was back and she was laughing loudly at something Bofur had said. She held a large glass of wine in her hand. Visions of another laughing dwarf-woman flashed through his mind. 'No, she didn't tell me. I know almost nothing about her. Perhaps you can fill me in?' he asked darkly.

Elrond sensed the anger building in his guest. 'I will leave that to her. She may have her reasons for not speaking. It is not my place to tell another's tale.'

Thorin ground his teeth but did not pursue the matter. There would be time for that later.

…

Meta had a wonderful time. She loved Elvish music, Elvish food, Elvish air and especially Elvish wine. When she finally left the table, Bofur had to put out a steadying hand as she rose. 'Oops, perhaps I shouldn't have had that last glass,' she giggled.

Bofur stood as well and kept the hand on her elbow. 'It does seem right powerful. Those Elves know a thing or two about grapes,' he agreed.

'My amad never let me have more than one glass, and now I think I know why.' For some reason the floor seemed a bit more uneven than it had earlier. She took a tentative step and then another. 'I'll have to mention to Elrond about this floor. It needs work.' She giggled again.

'I imagine it will be fixed by morning, Meta,' Bofur smiled to see her this way. She was usually so serious and controlled. It was good to know there was a little bit of reckless dwarf in there after all.

'Alright. I'll wait 'til then to complain.' She began to hum one of the tunes that were being played. 'Do you want to go swimming, Bofur? I want to go swimming!' She tried to spin in a circle but his hand was in the way.

'No swimming for you, Meta. You need to go to bed and get some rest.' He began to lead her back towards the wing where their rooms were.

'Spoilsport,' she taunted but followed his guiding hand.

After some minor detours as Meta poked into random corners, they finally reached the right passageway. 'This is your room, isn't it?' he asked outside a door.

'Yes, but are you sure you don't want to go swimming? I know the perfect place!' She tried to tug him back down the hall.

'Some other time, Meta, when you feel better.' He loved the idea of swimming with her but thought it might lead to more trouble than it was worth.

'But I feel wonderful! Like I could fly with the birds or run faster than the fastest pony.' She managed to break free of his hand and began to spin around. 'Oops, that probably wasn't a good idea.' She grabbed onto a statue in a niche to regain her balance. 'The floor here is all wrong too.'

Bofur took her arm again and led her through the door to her room. 'Your bed is where you need to be now, Meta. In the morning the floors will be all better I guarantee it.' He pulled back the bed covers and sat her down. 'Do you need anything else?'

Meta smiled up at him. 'A kiss. Give me a kiss. Just a little one, Bofur. I know you want to.' She tilted her face up to his and winked.

Nothing would please Bofur more than to kiss the little minx, but not when she was in this condition. 'Not tonight, my dear. If and when I kiss you, I want you to remember every minute of it.' He bowed and retreated from the room before things got even more complicated.

'Spoilsport,' she said again to the empty air. She got up and changed into the nightdress and robe the elves had thoughtfully provided. Walking over to the doors to the balcony she went out and admired the night. The moon swam through thin clouds and the sounds of the night seemed amplified in her ears.

'I_ still_ want to go swimming!' she told the moon. She worked her way across the floor and found her way out the door. Now that she wasn't trying to spin in circles, navigating was a little easier. Eventually she made her way to the long-remembered pool. It was enclosed on all sides by a thick hedge. The pool glimmered in the moonlight as she shed her clothes and entered the water. She swam a few lengths back and forth but found it a little lonely all by herself. Out of the water, she put on her now damp nightgown and robe and wandered back toward the building that housed her room.

Before she got there she found an inviting padded bench that attracted her attention. She lay down on it and began to hum one of Bofur's tunes that so easily got stuck in one's head. The stars glittered brightly overhead just for her.

'Are you alright, Meta?' a deep voice asked.

She opened her eyes to find Thorin peering down at her. 'Right as rain, Thorin couldn't be better. Had a little extra wine, but other than that I'm fine.' She laughed gleefully.

He sat in a nearby chair and leaned forward. 'Why didn't you tell me you were born here, Meta?'

Having sobered up slightly from her swim, she was able to answer the difficult question. 'Gandalf warned me about using an Elvish name for my pony. I didn't think you would react very well to me being born in Rivendell. And besides, I never dreamed we would end up here. I figured you would avoid it like the plague.'

'Fair enough, but how did a dwarf come to be born and raised in Rivendell? You have to admit it is a little unusual.'

Meta pushed her hands into the soft cushion and struggled to sit up. 'It's a really long story. I don't think I'm in any condition to do it justice right now.'

Thorin reached out to help her up, but as he did so, her robe slipped down leaving the upper part of her chest by the shoulder blade visible. He stared at the mark that was exposed. His mind slipped back a hundred years. '_What's this, Frer? It looks like a little crown!' Brin leaned over and kissed his birthmark and traced it with her fingers._ He felt a shiver run down his spine. 'What is that mark, Meta? The one on your shoulder.'

'That? It's a birthmark. My mother always said it was the only thing my father left me. He had one just like it.' She pulled the robe up and covered it. 'Do you want to go swimming with me? The water is quite divine!'

'No, no, I think I will pass on the swim.' His head was spinning but there was one last question to ask. 'What was his name, Meta? Who was your father?'

'His name was Frer. Frer, son of Fror. He disappeared before I was born, and I never ever met him.' She plopped back down on the bench and began to hum another tune. 'I really do wish someone wanted to go swimming.'

Thorin tried his best to control his emotions. They threatened to overwhelm him. Meta was his daughter! A daughter he never knew he had. No wonder she had seemed so familiar at times. _Oh, Brin, how could this have happened?_ He wanted to ask Meta a thousand questions, but he knew she was still at least a little drunk. There would be time later. Right now he needed to be alone with his thoughts.

'Goodnight, Meta. Perhaps we can go swimming tomorrow,' Thorin patted her shoulder and turned to leave.

'Alright. But it really is a beautiful pool,' her voice murmured behind him.

…

Balin went looking for Thorin later that evening. There were a few things he wanted to ask the elves for if Thorin approved. He finally found his friend tucked away in an alcove with several empty bottles of wine and another almost gone.

'What are you doing, Thorin? You never drink to excess!' Balin was stunned by his lack of control.

Thorin managed a tiny smile through the alcoholic haze. 'Do you 'member all those years ago, Balish? After 'ol Thrain took a hike?' he slurred.

Balin frowned. 'What are you talking about, Thorin? Of course I remember. Probably better than you right now.'

'What did I have you and D'lin do for me? Do you 'member? Besides lookin' for me da?' Thorin tipped the bottle up and drained a good portion of it down his throat. 'Do you?'

Balin rubbed his hand across his eyes and down his face as he thought back to those hectic days. Thorin had returned home from a trip to find chaos. His father had left on some silly quest to fight Smaug. They had sent out search parties and messages to the far corners of Middle-earth to try and find Thrain. But wasn't there something else? It flitted across the edge of memory. Eventually, they had always asked about someone else, too. 'Brin. You kept looking for someone named Brin.'

Balin's memory surfaced and raced back. Thorin had been frantic to find the dwarf-woman he had met on a trip to the far North. Balin remembered the pain of loss on his friend's face for months on end. To lose your Only One to death was terrible. To lose her to the unknown was unthinkable. 'What brought all that back, Thorin. It has been a hundred years.'

Thorin drained the rest of the wine and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. 'Those Elves do make good wine, Baldin.' He struggled to focus his eyes. 'You never met my Brin, did you? She was my Only One you know. I always thought that was a bit silly. How can you only love one lil' dwarf forever? 'Til I met my Brin.' Thorin hiccupped. 'We ne'er looked here did we, Baldil. What dwarf would hide with Elves?'

Balin thought he saw where this was going. 'She was here? Is she still here? What are you talking about, Thorin? I would think you would be over the moon to have found her!'

'Nope, still didn' find her. My Brin. Lost forever. Found somethin' else though. I got a dawher, dawther, daughter!' He finally managed the word and smiled at Balin in triumph.

'What!' Balin cried. 'That isn't possible! How did such a thing happen?'

Thorin winked. 'The usual way, ma ol' fiend 'er, friend. When I got called home to hunt for Tran, Thrain, she didn't want me to leave. Kind of got out of control one afternoon.' His eyes got a happy look as he remembered that lovely day from long ago. 'Looks like I struck gold with only a few tries!' he giggled. Thorin Oakenshield actually _giggled_ but then his eyes grew old and sad. 'I never saw her again, Bally. She never even knew who I really am.' The words seemed to sober him up quite a bit. He threw his wine bottle against a low wall and it shattered into myriad pieces that sparkled in the soft moonlight. 'No matter how hard I looked, I never found her!' He buried his face in his hands.

Balin stared at him. 'All this time, you had a child and you never knew it.' His mind was having a hard time grasping the thought. Dwarf children were as precious as gold to dwarves. To have one and not know it was unthinkable. Forgetting Thorin had claimed to have a daughter, he asked, 'Where is he?'

Thorin roared with laughter! 'That's another oddity, my friend. With all the male dwarves born each year you would expect that I would have a son, but no, I have a daughter! A little girl, well, not so little any more, of course.' The pride rang out in his voice as he contemplated that fact.

Balin wanted to slug him. 'But that doesn't tell me where she is, and _where is Brin!_' he shouted in exasperation.

Thorin focused his eyes on the yelling dwarf in front of him. 'Oh, right. Meta. Meta's my daughter. She doesn't know it, but she is. Saw the mark clear as day. Can't be anything else.' He sat with a satisfied smirk spreading across his face. _He_ had reproduced and with very little effort. Some couples took years to have a child and he did it in one afternoon.

'Meta is your daughter, you're certain?' Balin's head spun with all the difficulties this was going to cause not just today but far down the road. What about Fili and Kili? Where would they fit now? He shook his head to clear those thoughts away. Right now he had this so-called daughter to worry about.

Thorin leaned back against his chair and promptly passed out. He snored the happy snore of a drunk who would regret it in the morning. 'Come on, Thorin, wake up. You'll feel better in the morning if you sleep in a bed instead of that chair.'

Balin shook Thorin's shoulder and got him to his feet. Almost carrying his old friend, he staggered down the passage to the room assigned to Thorin and put him on the bed. Thorin settled in with a happy grunt of contentment. 'Daughter,' he muttered. 'Brin.'

Balin sighed as he closed the door. 'Quite a can of worms, Thorin, and that's putting it mildly.'

...

The next morning Balin almost laughed out loud when he caught sight of father and daughter. It was a good thing they were on opposite sides of the room because anyone who saw them side by side might notice the close similarities. Each held his or her head in respective hands. Each moaned silently and each kept eyes tightly closed against the morning light.

He offered Thorin coffee and a plate of food. The moaning grew louder. 'No food, thank you unless you would like to see it again very soon,' Thorin muttered. He put out an unsteady hand for the coffee. 'Damn the elves and damn their wine.'

Meta was only slightly better off. Bofur was the one to hand her coffee but knew better than to offer food right away. 'Wake up, sunshine,' he chirped.

'I hate you,' she said. 'Why do I feel so bad? I didn't have that much. I only had two or three glasses.'

Bofur laughter made her wince. 'Ah, but it is right powerful stuff, my dear, and I'm guessing you never drink much anyway.'

Meta cracked her eyes open. 'Only on birthdays and now, never again.' Her eyes closed again and her head sank back to her hands.

'Drink your coffee, Meta. It will make you feel better. I speak from experience.' Bofur pushed the mug as far under her nose as he could.

Remembering the way the B's had recovered in Bree, Meta picked up the mug and took a small sip. The scent wafted up her nose and into her brain. Slowly it woke further and decided it might want to live after all. A very small plate of eggs appeared next and she ate it a tiny bit at a time.

'Did we go swimming last night?' she asked. 'I seem to remember wanting to go but no one would.' She had a flash of cool water and a conversation about her birthmark but it quickly retreated back into the haze that was her mind.

Bofur said, 'You wanted to but I declined.' Even as he said the words he wondered what would have happened if he had accepted. 'It was for the best, Meta. You should never be alone with someone when you are drunk.'

She moaned again. Coffee or no, her head still ached. 'You're right, but it sounds even better now. If you'll excuse me, I think I will go again.' He noticed there was no second offer to join her.

'Have a nice time, Meta. Keep your head above the water!' he joked. She snarled something rude and wandered off to find her pool.

…

Thorin was not so lucky. The coffee had almost no effect and he thought he was about to die. He was rising to return to his room to lie back down when Balin said, 'We need to talk about last night, Thorin. It's too important to leave for very long.'

Thorin continued to retreat from the quiet noise of the dining hall. 'I am sure it can wait until I can think, Balin.' He ran his hand along the wall so that he could walk with his eyes mostly closed. Reaching his door, he opened it but turned before he entered. 'Remind me again what we talked about?' All he could remember was drinking a lot of wine and breaking a bottle.

Balin stared in disbelief. 'You really don't remember?'

'No,' was the terse reply. He had never had an axe implanted in his skull, but he knew now what it would feel like.

'I think I'll wait until you feel a bit better before I tell you.'

Without another word, Thorin went through the door and closed it ever so quietly, but it still sounded like the clanging of the great gates of Erebor.

….

Balin found Meta in her pool with her head resting on the side. Her eyes were closed but he sensed that she felt much better already. As his boot scraped on the ground, she slit her eyes open and sat up. 'Hello, Balin. What brings you to my little corner of paradise? The water is divine; you should join me!'

'My swimming days are over, Meta. Water is for bathing and drinking when there is no beer. I want to talk to you about last night.' Balin blushed as she rose a bit further out of the pool. Even though she was wearing a light tunic of some sort, it was still rather revealing. He noticed the birthmark on her shoulder right where Thorin's was. She was most definitely a relative of some sort. Only direct descendants of Durin bore that sign.

'I'm sorry I got drunk, Balin. It won't happen again. I misjudged the potency is all.' She sank back into the water wondering what the real problem was. Dwarves got drunk all the time from what she had seen and last night several of the others had been worse than she.

'That isn't it. Do you remember talking with Thorin at all?' he asked carefully.

She wrinkled her nose, closed her eyes and thought hard. 'Did I ask him to go swimming? I guess that was rather inappropriate. Other than that, I don't remember much. Bofur wouldn't go swimming either,' she pouted. 'And now_ you_ won't.'

Balin had to laugh. She sounded so disappointed he was almost tempted to jump in with her. Almost. 'Yes you asked him to go swimming, but that isn't a problem either. I can see you don't remember anything else so go back and enjoy your pool. We will be leaving in a few days and then I doubt there will many opportunities for swimming.'

She took a few lazy strokes and turned on to her back. 'You don't know what you're missing, Balin.'

…..

Balin returned to Thorin's room after lunch. His friend was still in bed but now had a wet cloth resting on his forehead. He glared as Balin walked through the door. 'Say anything above a whisper and I will kill you,' he snarled softly.

'Let this be a lesson to you, Thorin. You may be able to drink all the beer in the world, but you can't hold your wine!' As a peace offering, he removed a small packet from a pocket and mixed it into a glass of water. 'Here, try this. Oin swears it will help.'

Eyeing the glass suspiciously, Thorin held it up to the light. 'What is it? Oin's remedies are sometimes worse than the disease.'

'Take it. It can't hurt and I need to talk to you.' Balin stood impatiently while Thorin drained the glass.

'Oh dear, that was terrible.' Thorin screwed up his face and tried to clear the sour taste from his mouth. Surprisingly, in a few minutes the pounding in his head faded from war drums to tambourines. 'What's so important, Balin? We don't leave for a few days and Elrond is tending to the supply list.'

'We need to talk about your daughter, Thorin, or has it all completely disappeared?'

A complex look of sad and happy flashed across his friend's face. 'No, I remember. At first I thought it was all a dream but enough has come back for me to be sure. Meta _is_ my daughter,' Thorin replied. 'And hopefully Brin is still alive somewhere in Middle-earth. After all this time, it's hard to believe. A daughter, Balin! I have a daughter!' Thorin was not one to smile, but now his face was split with a wide grin. 'I can't wait to tell her and find out where Brin is!'

Balin put out a hand and laid it on Thorin's shoulder. 'Do you think that is the best idea? To tell Meta right now? We are starting out on a difficult journey. It may be too distracting for her _and_ the company.'

'I don't understand, Balin. She's my child! She deserves to know. And what do you mean a distraction to the company? How is it any of their business?'

'Have you forgotten Fili and Kili, Thorin? Right now they are your heirs. If you so choose, Meta would take precedence over them should you ever regain your throne. As for the rest, I am not sure, but I worry it may have unforeseen consequences. There are still some who do not think Meta should be with us. Finding out she is your daughter could make things worse. I advise keeping this secret for a little longer,' Balin counseled.

'But what if she finds out some other way? She would hate me even more than she probably does now.' Thorin itched to find out more about Brin and he couldn't do that easily without telling Meta the truth.

Balin replied, 'No one else knows anything about Brin except for Dwalin, and I will make sure he doesn't say anything. I doubt he even remembers; it was so long ago. The only telltale is the birthmark and once we leave Rivendell, there will be no opportunity for swimming. The odds are against anyone seeing it and making the connection.'

'Fili and Kili would, Balin. They know all about the mark of Durin. If they should happen to see it…' his voice trailed off. 'I should tell her now, today.' He slid over to the edge of the bed and got slowly to his feet. His head still ached but he forced himself to move.

'You know very well that every descendent of Durin has that mark in some form or another. Most are not like the ruling families', but they have it. They would merely think she was from some other branch. After all, the whole company is of the line of Durin in some way or another except for Bofur, Bifur and Bombur. We all bear at least a trace of the mark.' Balin's mark was exactly where Meta's and Thorin's were, but it was only a round black spot, not the exquisite crown they bore.

'But I also want to know where Brin is and how she is doing. It would be hard to ask those kinds of questions without giving a reason,' Thorin cried out.

He wanted to drop everything and race to his long-lost love's side and Balin knew it. He also knew that there was a deadline to reenter Erebor that did not allow for side trips. 'According to what the elf said last night, there is no time for that if you want to use the key, Thorin. Brin can wait a few more months and Meta can too. Regain your throne or find out it is lost for good before you do anything else,' Balin said.

'I hear the reason in your words, Balin, but my heart tells me you are wrong.'

'No I am not. There is also the unity of the company to think of. We are only now gaining the kind of trust necessary for such a venture. If we disrupt that now, I don't know if we would recover. Have patience and I believe it will all turn out for the best in the end,' Balin continued to state his case.

Thorin still hesitated. He had waited a long time for Brin, but he realized that he had waited for Erebor even longer.

Balin sensed his friend's mood. 'You must choose, Thorin: The chance to regain Erebor is now and that might not happen again for years. Or throw it away to chase someone who will still be there in a few months time.'

Thorin closed his eyes and groaned. 'Very well, for good or evil I choose Erebor. I only hope I do not live to regret it.

**_'Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive" Sir Walter Scott _**_ I suspect Thorin may indeed come to regret this in a bit! Stay tuned._


	12. The Calm Before a Storm

Fully recovered the next morning, Thorin gritted his teeth and went looking for Elrond. 'Ah, Thorin, what can I do for you this fine day,' Elrond asked politely.

Thorin pulled his shoulders back and prepared to be nice to an elf. 'I have a favor to ask. I wondered if you would allow Meta to remain here instead of continuing our journey.'

Elrond raised an eyebrow and contemplated the stout dwarf facing him. 'You do not find her services satisfactory? From what I remember, Meta was a competent swordswoman.'

'Yes, she is, but I begin to think this venture will prove more dangerous than I originally expected. It is no place for a woman,' he said.

'If you truly believed that you would not have invited her along in the first place. You must be honest with me if I am to grant such a request,' Elrond replied.

Thorin turned away from the all-knowing, piercing gaze of the elf. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably in the heavy silence that seemed to hang over the pair. Finally the unseen pressure became too much and he burst out, 'She is my daughter!'

Even the great Elrond was stunned by this news. '_Your_ daughter? Does she know that? I thought her father's name was Frer!'

Thorin reddened in shame. 'That was a name I used at times. As far as her mother knew, I was Frer, son of Fror. It is a long story and I meant no deception. And no, Meta does not know and I expect you to keep it a secret!' he said with a glare as he finally met Elrond's eyes.

Elrond sat in silence for a minute before answering. 'It is wrong not to tell, but it is not my place to do so. She may stay,' Thorin relaxed visibly only to tense as the elf continued, 'but only if she wishes it. I will not have her stay against her will.'

Sensing there would be no negotiating this point, Thorin swallowed his pride and requested, 'Will you ask her? I don't want her to think that I am the reason.'

'I will but only for her sake, not yours. You should be honest and tell her!' Elrond hated unnecessary deception on any level, and he believed that this one would not end well.

Thorin grunted in disagreement. 'The decision has been made. I cannot and will not tell her yet.'

Elrond shook his head and sighed. 'Very well, but I fear you will regret it someday.'

'Possibly, but I cannot risk losing her when I have only now found her. You wouldn't understand. _You _have never lost anything,' Thorin said rudely. He turned and stomped away without waiting for a reply. The matter was out of his hands for now.

Elrond watched the stocky figure depart. '_I only hope, my dear Thorin, that you never have to face anything like the losses that I have had in my life,_' he thought sadly.

…..

Meta was in her pool when she got a message that Elrond wished to see her. 'Now what?' she wondered. She had expected to speak with him at some point but an invitation to do so was very unusual.

A short time later, she stood before the elf that had been a big part of her life for so many years. 'Sit down, Meta. I was surprised to see you arrive here with a company of dwarves!'

Meta laughed, 'Who else should I arrive with, my lord? I am a dwarf after all!'

Elrond smiled. 'That is true, but your mother always did her best to keep you away from dwarves. I thought perhaps you would follow in her footsteps.'

'She didn't like to be reminded of what she lost. I had no reason to do the same.' She stared out into the distance. 'I doubt that is why you have called me here.'

'You are correct. I want to ask you to stay here in Rivendell when the company leaves,' he said without further delay.

Meta stared at him. 'Stay here? Why would I do that? No insult intended, but if I had wanted to stay here, I would have come here at the start of my journey. Besides, I have an obligation now to the company. I may not be a great warrior, but I made a commitment and I intend to keep it.'

Elrond pressed her, 'You can ask Thorin to release you; I am sure he would. We could send for Brin and make it a family reunion.'

Meta considered his words before answering. 'You are probably right, but I could not release myself. There is something that I must do. I don't know yet what it is, but I sense it out there ahead of me. As for my mother, I do not know that she would come. Her days are dark now.' She went no further to explain that rather cryptic answer.

Having pushed as far as he felt prudent, Elrond turned the conversation to more general affairs in Meta's life since she had left Rivendell. After a pleasant chat, he excused himself. 'I have some messages that must be sent out before day's end. It has been a pleasure to see you again, Meta, and the offer to stay stands when or if you ever need it.'

Meta stood and bowed. 'Thank you, you were as a father to me for all those years and I deeply appreciate it. If I thought it was the right thing to do, I could be tempted to stay. Dwarf culture really did not suit me very well. I am at your service.'

Elrond watched as she walked away. He might not be able to keep her from the dangers of the road, but there was one other thing he could put into motion. He picked up his quill and began to write.

….

Meta slowly walked away from her meeting with Elrond. She wondered what had prompted him to make such an offer. It was not the kind of thing she would have expected from him. He was always willing to help but usually did not interfere in the affairs of others unasked. She sighed. The world was changing; maybe some of those changes had wormed their way into the timelessness of Rivendell.

She ran into Balin shortly afterward. 'I just had the oddest meeting with Elrond,' she said after he hailed her.

'Oh, really, how so?' Balin suspected he knew what the meeting was about.

'He asked me to stay in Rivendell. Elrond rarely involves himself in such matters. It is not his way.'

Balin crossed his fingers and hoped. 'Are you staying?

Meta looked shocked at the suggestion. 'Of course not, Thorin has been very kind to me and I owe it to him to continue the quest.' After a few more pleasantries, she left to continue her walk.

Balin watched her go and shook his head. 'Even being kind works against Thorin Oakenshield,' he mused.

…

Meta was wandering down one of the many secluded paths lost in thought when she heard someone playing a flute. The aching loneliness of the tune captured her heart and drew her nearer. Whoever was playing was highly skilled in her less than professional opinion. Not wanting to disturb the player, she crept slowly along a tall hedge that appeared to be separating her from the musician.

Noticing an opening, she peeked in to try and see who was playing. She was stunned when she found herself staring at the back of Bofur's funny hat! Bofur had often played for the company but never like this! The notes sank into her bones and ran along her veins. It bore absolutely no resemblance to any kind of music she had ever heard anywhere let alone from a dwarf.

The tune came to a sorrowful end and Meta tried to quietly leave the opening. Her foot scraped softly across the ground and Bofur's head jerked around. 'Why Meta, I had no idea anyone was around,' he said uneasily.

'That was beautiful, Bofur. I didn't know you could play like that,' Meta murmured. 'You should do it more often.'

Bofur laughed wryly. 'I have been inspired by your elves, Meta. As for doing it more often, I don't see other dwarves appreciating it in quite the same way you do.'

In her heart, Meta knew he was right. 'That's too bad. It was very haunting and beautiful.' She stood awkwardly for a moment and then added, 'You can play for me any time you want. I would be honored.'

Bofur bowed. 'And I would be honored to do just that. Sit down, Miss Meta and I will play for you.' As Meta sat, Bofur lifted the flute back to his lips and began to play. Meta had no idea that his heart sang along as he played for his muse.

….

Later that afternoon, Meta pulled out the collection of gems she had recovered from the troll hoard. Seated on her balcony with a bowl of warm water and a small brush, she cleaned and shined each one. When she was finished she divided them based on quality. By far the nicest piece was the pin that she had gotten on her first foray.

Cleaned of dust, it shone in the golden light. The white gems gleamed in a _mithril _setting_._ She also had quite a few excellent quality gemstones of various types and other pieces of jewelry. Once everything was sorted, she retrieved her under clothes and began sewing. Since the road seemed to be getting ever more dangerous, she was going to do her best to hide her treasures. The pin was stitched into the upper breast of her tunic. It was very delicate but she knew that even if it was bent it could be reformed.

The finer gems she worked into the various seams and cuffs wherever she was able to make them less likely to be found. Anyone who did a serious study of her clothing would notice them, but she was counting on the fact that if that occurred, she would probably be dead and no longer care. Meta scooped up a tidy pile of lesser gems and placed them in a leather pouch. She hoped that anyone who searched her would find them and be satisfied. Although they were not as nice as all the others, they were still worth a small fortune.

….

The next morning at breakfast, Balin could sense that Thorin's feelings were still unresolved. His friend grumbled and growled at every little thing. Although he did that quite often, today it was worse than usual. As they left the dining hall, Balin pulled Thorin onto one of the ever present balconies. 'Thorin, you must do something about your attitude! The others are starting to talk!'

Thorin jerked his arm away and snarled, 'You know very well what the solution is and I am going to enact it right now.' He tried to leave but Balin stood in his way.

'There is another way.'

'What?' came another snarl.

'Gandalf mentioned to me that Meta would like extra weapons training. She asked him who he thought would be a likely teacher. Why don't you volunteer, Thorin? As leader, it makes sense that you ensure your company is as adept at fighting as possible. You could train several of the younger members. Ori can certainly use help and I think the B's could use some refresher training,' Balin named his candidates. 'It would be a way to spend more time with her without revealing your secret.'

Thorin glared at him but didn't snarl immediately. 'The B's? Oh, right Bombur, etc. I'm not sure I want to do all that, Balin. Meta, yes, the rest, no.'

Balin hesitated. 'I think you need to have more than just Meta, Thorin. Otherwise the others may wonder why she is getting special treatment. You should not show any favoritism at this point.'

Thorin's glare returned but he saw the sense in Balin's words. 'Alright, I'll do a few classes, but I will not be nice!' he huffed.

Balin snorted, 'I'm guessing that will _not_ be expected!'

….

Since their time in Rivendell was limited, the weapons class began that very afternoon. Everyone but Bombur had agreed to participate. He felt his skills were sufficient. 'Don't rely much on them anyway,' he told Balin when asked, 'I tend to just squash anything in my way.' The others were flattered by the attention and eagerly joined the group.

Thorin started by putting everyone through a few basic drills and watched how they moved. He then paired them off and had them run mock duels. It was apparent immediately that Meta was head and shoulders beyond Bifur and Bofur and slightly better than Ori. When asked, Bifur and Bofur admitted that they had never received any formal training at all. Bofur hefted his axe and said, 'I just swing at anything that comes my way.' Bilbo had never held a sword in his life before he got the one from the troll hoard.

'Hmm,' said Thorin trying to remain patient. He showed Bifur and Bofur a few basic moves and had them move to the side to practice them. He told Bilbo to observe. 'Now Meta and Ori,' he started to say but before he could continue Ori spoke or rather squeaked.

'I-I have to go Thorin, I am terribly sorry. I forgot a very important appointment.' Before Thorin could say anything, Ori scurried away.

'What was that all about?' Thorin asked Meta.

'I am afraid it is about me, Thorin. After the ghost miner raid, Ori's brothers teased him relentlessly about being my 'girlfriend'. They seem to have eased up a bit, but I think Ori fears it will start all over again if only he and I are dueling.' Meta would have been offended, but she had watched his brothers ride poor Ori almost to tears and she didn't want to see it happen again because of her.

'I will tend to that later. For now, I will partner with you.' Thorin was very pleased at how it all worked out. They proceeded to conduct several mock duels with sword and axe. When they had finished, Thorin asked, 'Who taught you? I can tell it was not a dwarf.'

Meta went into defensive mode. 'I had an excellent teacher. He went to great lengths to help me learn when no one else would teach a woman!'

Thorin smiled at her outrage. 'I didn't say he wasn't a good teacher only that he wasn't a dwarf.'

'How can you tell?' she asked curious.

'The way you move is different. Not wrong,' he said quickly, 'different. Dwarves are seldom as flexible as Men or Elves so we learn to compensate when fighting.' He showed her how he would move to parry a sword. 'Now this is sort of how you do it. I cannot do it the same as you since I lack your flexibility.'

As Meta watched, she understood what he meant. She had noticed the difference herself during the battle with the miners. Dwarves tended to keep their weapons lower than Men. 'I thought it was technique.'

'It is and it isn't. I cannot lift my arms as easily above my shoulders as you can. Perhaps it is because you are a woman or because you adapted to your training. I can if I must, but my strength lies at a lower level,' Thorin explained.

As they talked, Thorin had moved around Meta, touching her arms and placing her body into various positions. Fili and Kili watched it all from a balcony overlooking the practice area. Finally Fili said, 'I don't like this, Kili, not at all.'

Kili stared at his brother. 'Why? What's the matter? The company needs every advantage it can get. If Bilbo, Bifur and Bofur can learn how to fight at least a little, what's the harm?'

Fili kicked out at his stupid brother. 'Not them, her! Look how Thorin is with her. Do you remember when he taught us? All he did was yell and shout.'

Kili looked back down at the two below. Thorin had a smile on his face and Meta was laughing at something he must have said. 'So he is nicer to women. I still don't see a problem.'

Fili rolled his eyes in frustration and tried one more time. 'What happens if Uncle Thorin decides he _really_ likes Meta? You know, enough to make her his wife?'

'That would be wonderful, Fili! Amad always wanted Uncle to marry!'

Driven to exasperation by Kili's obtuseness, Fili boxed his ears. 'It would be great for Uncle Thorin, but what about _me_? Us?' Fili cried. 'What happens to _me_ if that woman has a child? Uncle Thorin may be old, but plenty of dwarf-men have children at his age if their wife is young enough!'

At last the light dawned. 'He would be his heir! You would only be second in line.' Kili wrinkled his brow. 'But Fili, you would be second in line to something that may never exist. I would be happy if Uncle found someone to love. And besides, just because he loves her doesn't mean she will love him. You know how women are about their Only Ones.'

'Sometimes power and position override that nonsense, Kili, but you make a good point. I will have to make sure she never sees him in that way.' A wicked little smile played across his lips. He might be heir to nothing, but it was still better than second in line.

….

Fili tried to implement his plan the next day. He approached Thorin at breakfast. 'I saw that you were training some of the new folk yesterday, Uncle and wondered if you would like me to take over for you. I know how pestiferous new trainees can be.' He had actually been stunned to see Thorin with trainees of any sort. He had never been willing or patient enough. Fili and Kili had only had sessions with him because they were his nephews.

Thorin raised an eyebrow at his older nephew. Fili seldom volunteered for anything laborious, and he hated training almost as much as Thorin did. 'Why that is very kind of you, Fili. Bilbo, Bifur and Bofur can learn a lot from you. Oh, and see if you can get Ori to join you. Tell him Meta will be with me and he needn't worry about getting teased.'

Too late, Fili realized that he had failed to plan sufficiently. 'Well, I really was interested in training Meta. I have never worked with a woman warrior before,' he made a vain attempt to recover.

Thorin laughed silently to himself. He knew full well that Fili had no interest in the others. What interest he had in Meta was unclear. He doubted it was romantic. Fili was still a bit young for that. If it was, he would have to be told the secret, but for now, Thorin simply redirected him. 'Meta is a special case, Fili. She was trained by a non-dwarf and I do not think you are skilled enough yet at teaching to help her where she needs it.'

Knowing when to quit, Fili nodded and bowed. 'I will continue with the others then, Uncle.' Cursing his lack of foresight, Fili went to find his new pupils.

….

Meta enjoyed her training tremendously. Not only was she learning new techniques, she was getting to know Thorin better. He seemed to be two different people in one body. She had seen the kind side the night she had been unable to sleep, and it resurfaced again with her training. He never got frustrated and he seldom exploded at her. There were a few times she sensed he was close, but he managed to restrain his temper.

'No, no, _no_, Meta, you must lift your axe like this!' he exclaimed as he stood behind her and used his hands under her elbows to try and get her into the correct position.

She tensed under the pressure and resisted him. 'But it is unnatural! What is wrong with the way I do it?'

'Because that is not the way _we _do it!' he said for the umpteenth time.

Meta sighed and tried to mimic the movement. 'It doesn't work for me, Thorin. It feels so much better to do it this way.' She swung her axe slightly higher than he instructed. Thorin quickly moved to face her, raised his axe and struck hers down to the ground.

'And _that_ is what will happen in a battle if you try that! You are too high. Your opponent will come in underneath and twist.' He demonstrated his move again and again her axe hit the ground. 'A Man may have taught you, but the axe is not their weapon of choice. You must be prepared to face goblins. They will fight with this technique!'

'I see what you mean, but I still can't move like that. Isn't there another way?' Meta's shoulders ached and it was still early.

Thorin thought for few moments and studied her move as she repeated it over and over. Finally he moved behind her again and put his arms around her.

…

Across the practice area, Fili ground his teeth as he watched the pair. They seemed to be getting more and more intimate every time he looked their way. He turned his anger on his miserable students. 'Not like that Bofur! How many times do I have to tell you, thrust then parry!' he yelled.

Bofur muttered under his breath, 'I'll thrust and parry _you_ if I get the chance.'

'What was that?' Fili growled.

Bofur gave one of his silly grins. 'Just repeatin' the instructions, Fili. Thrust and parry like you said.' Bofur raised his sword and slashed it through the air.

Fili snarled, 'That was uncalled for and dangerous.'

His raised voice attracted the attention of Thorin who quickly came over. 'Is there a problem, Fili?'

On the verge of splitting his student in two, Fili replied with a false grin, 'Not at all, Uncle. Bofur here is getting used to thrust and parry. I may have encouraged him a bit too loudly.'

Knowing exactly what was happening, Thorin called for a break. He didn't need his company chopping each other into pieces. 'That's enough for today. Meta's shoulders are hurting and I would imagine the rest of you can use a break.' He turned back to his trainee and Fili watched as they walked out of the courtyard laughing together. It was a wonder he didn't break any teeth as he clenched his jaw…

…..

Meta found Elrond in his study. 'I will be leaving tomorrow, and I wanted to say _goodbye,'_ she said as he rose to greet her.

'You are sure of this? You will not stay here with us?' Elrond tried one last time.

'No, my heart tells me to go with these dwarves. I can't stay here. It is so peaceful, but it presents no challenge for me. With Thorin and the company, I will get to experience all those things I have been missing for so long,' Meta told him.

'Very well, I can see your mind is made up. Always remember you are like a daughter to me. Your mother and you are always welcome in Rivendell.' He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. 'I give you my blessing and hope to see you again someday, my child.' He pressed a small parchment square into her hand. 'You may find this useful at some point. Keep it safe.' He told her what it contained and when she would probably need it the most.

For just a moment, Meta was tempted to stay in the soft security of the elf haven, but she knew it was not to be. 'I will. Thank you for all your kindness. Rivendell will always have a special place in my heart. You have done more for me than either my mother or I ever expected.'

Elrond nodded, 'I will not come out to see you off. Thorin and I have a momentary truce, but I believe it would not be good to test its strength!'

Meta laughed, 'I think he has a good heart under all that gruffness. He has been very kind to me so far.'

'I would not let you go if I doubted him, Meta. Good luck.'

She left the room with a heavy heart. It was always hard to say farewell to good friends.

…

Meta ran into Balin on her way back to her room to pack up the last of her few possessions. 'So, Balin, tomorrow we leave this beautiful place.'

Balin too felt the need to try one last gamble. 'You can always stay behind, Meta. Thorin would not want any of the company to continue if they had second thoughts.'

'How about third and fourth thoughts, Balin? I have had them all. However, as I told Lord Elrond, my place is with the company and that is where I will be in the morning.'

Sighing, Balin patted her arm. 'I'll see you then, lassie. Get a good night's sleep.' He watched her walk down the path and made his way to Thorin's room to break the news. His daughter would be continuing the journey.

**I hope you are enjoying the journey so far. Thoughts and reviews always appreciated.**


	13. Separation Anxiety

_A note to shishi on your review since I cannot PM you directly: I do my best NOT to use other's ideas (movie or Tolkien) for the characters. Sometimes bits of the movies sneak in because they are so powerful and well known ie Bofur's hat. Tolkien barely described his dwarves other than Bombur's love of food. It is also very difficult to keep track of 13 characters let alone write about all of them, so I concentrate on the ones who add to my story. Specific to your comments: Bifur does not have an axe in his head and can speak quite well; Fili may or may not be weak but he does feel threatened by Meta (most any heir would if faced with possibly being replaced). Dori, Nori and Ori are like many brothers and I can see them teasing Ori relentlessly esp when a woman is involved! There are not many women in dwarf life and for one to be around all the time? Perfect teasing opportunity. Don't worry, Ori will have his chance to shine soon. And Thorin? He has been my motivation for all my stories. I think JRR did him wrong at the end of his Hobbit, so I have rewritten it. Sorry if you think he is weak. I see him as a much more complete dwarf in the end._

_As for poor Bilbo, he always fades into the background of my stories because he has been written about so very many times. He is there doing all the things that he does in Tolkien's version (so far), but I see no reason to repeat it again. _

_So to end, I follow Tolkien's outline for his book, but I change things to suit my stories. The ladies rule in my little attempts! Hold onto your hat if you don't like change, because from now on things are going to take some really different twists from JRRs version of events. Feel free to comment. I am always interested in what others have to say in a useful and thoughtful manner._

_And now on to the story…_

_..._

Separation Anxiety

They trudged along the narrow mountain path. It wasn't too bad until the rain started. Then everything got slippery and wet. The ponies struggled with their footing and the dwarves got soaked to the skin. Meta did her best not to regret coming along, but it got harder and harder with each passing minute.

Finally Thorin sent Fili and Kili ahead to scout for a place to shelter. At last they returned with news of a dry cave. 'Unoccupied?' Gandalf asked suspiciously.

'Of course!' Fili replied. 'We went all the way in and there was nothing but nice dry sand.'

The tired company walked eagerly into the cavern. As promised, there was nothing to be seen. Meta and Baru were the last to enter. The pony yanked back on the reins and refused to budge past the doorway. 'Come _on_, Baru, I want to get dry,' Meta urged. He shuffled his hooves and pulled back again.

She was on the verge of leaving it outside when Thorin interfered. 'Either get that cursed animal inside or let it go, Meta! It is making the other ponies restless!' He had never forgiven the poor animal for having an Elven name.

Nothing riled Meta so much as having someone tell her what to do especially when she had been about to do it. 'He's upset. Something isn't right here and he knows it.' It was the first time she had considered this, but now that she thought about it the cavern _did_ seem to have a faint, unpleasant smell. Not as bad as trolls, but still….there was something.

'Ah, the vaunted pony sense and Meta nose!' Thorin scoffed. Daughter or no, he had no patience at the moment. 'Make up your minds; in or out.'

Meta stared at him and then said, 'Very well, out.' She turned and went back into the night. Fortunately, the rain had eased off to a steady drizzle. It was no picnic, but it was better than before.

Immediately regretting his words, Thorin called, 'Meta wait, I'm sorry,' but she didn't hear. He started after her, but Dwalin called out from inside. _She'll be fine. I'll go get her in a minute_, he thought. 'Yes, Dwalin?' However, one distraction after another kept him from following his daughter.

Meta and Baru continued down the narrow path and found a small overhang not far from the cavern. The pony already seemed calmer. With Baru to the front, Meta managed to protect herself from the drizzle. Finally after an hour or so, she decided to try the cavern again. As she stood and faced up the path there were some loud shouts, the clang of metal and a brilliant flash. She wasn't positive, but she thought she saw at least one figure run out of the cave and down the path away from her. It only took a matter of seconds and then all was silent.

'What the…?' she said to no one in particular. Suddenly the night had become ominous and Baru was trying to drag her down the path again. This time, she was having none of it. 'Baru, stop it. I am not going anywhere until I find out what happened.' Brave words to a pony, but she couldn't quite bring herself to go back up the path right away.

When at last the pony settled down, she weighted his reins down with a rock and crept back to the door. It was pitch black inside. 'Bofur? Bilbo? Thorin?' she called softly. There was no reply. Even without light, she was all but positive the cave was empty! She went back to Baru and spent the rest of the night anxiously waiting for dawn.

…..

At first light, she went back to the cavern and verified that it was empty. All that remained of the company was a single blanket and one of Bofur's flutes. The floor showed signs of some type of struggle but no clue as to where everyone had gone. Meta picked up the blanket and the flute and left the cave. She went back to Baru and talked to the only living creature left to share her fate.

'This has taken an ugly turn, my friend. I have some food but not much. You will have to survive on grass for now. I don't quite know the way so we will rely on your very good horse sense.' She reached up and took the bridle off the pony. 'Lead the way, Baru. Giddy up!' She clicked her tongue as she always did to start them out. The pony turned up the path and headed off into the mountains.

…

….

_Safe at last outside..._

Thorin and the rest of the company raced down the side of the mountain. It had been a nightmare maze of dark tunnels and pursuit, but at last they had escaped. He finally came to a stop as Gandalf counted everyone. 'Where are Bilbo and Meta, Thorin? Everyone else is here.'

'Bilbo got left behind,' Nori piped up.

'And Meta? Where's Meta?' Gandalf asked. All the company shrugged and shook their heads. No one had seen Meta since the nightmare had begun.

Heartbroken, Thorin sank to the ground. This was his fault. If he hadn't yelled at her about the damned pony, she at least would have been with the group. After speaking with Dwalin, he had decided to leave her outside in the rain to teach her a lesson, but now he suffered the consequences of his actions. 'She is still up on the mountain as far as I know. Alone except for Baru.' He buried his face in his hands. The company couldn't be sure, but many were later convinced that he was crying! What was the world coming do when the mighty Thorin cried over a woman! Balin moved to his side and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Before Gandalf could respond, a little voice called from up the slope, 'Here I am! I made it out!' They turned to see Bilbo standing under the trees grinning at his success.

Gandalf smiled at this minor victory. 'You didn't happen to find Meta, did you, Bilbo?'

Bilbo's smile disappeared. 'Meta? No, is she missing?' Gandalf nodded sadly and turned back to Thorin.

When Balin tried to comfort him, Thorin hissed, 'I will never forgive you, Balin, if I have lost her. She will die never knowing the truth!'

'We'll find her, Thorin. I will do everything I can to help.'

Before he could continue, Gandalf interrupted. 'Everyone get up. The goblins will be hunting us and we must move.'

'What about Meta?' Thorin cried.

'She will have to wait for now, Thorin. We have other things to worry about. I am fairly certain that the goblins of this particular mountain have their energies focused squarely on us. Meta and Baru are probably in much better circumstances. If we manage to survive this, I know a few folk in the mountains that can help us look for her.'

Even as he spoke, they heard the first howling of Wargs and the screaming of goblins. They got to their feet and began to run.

…

…

At first she worried about starving to death, but then Meta realized it was getting sick that would kill her. With tight rationing, she had enough food for about three days. She hoped to find something left berry- or nut-wise, but it was too early in the year for anything new. Baru was the lucky one. There was grass and he was able to forage as they walked.

Meta noticed the aches on the third day. Her neck and shoulders were sore. Deciding it was due to all the hiking she did her best to ignore it. However, later in the day her head began to ache and she started to shiver. The day was sunny and warm and her clothes were dry at last. 'Oh Baru, please tell me I am not getting sick!' The pony nudged her with his nose and turned back to the path. She found a rock and climbed into the saddle. Riding was not much easier than walking. She had a hard time even sitting upright. When they stopped for the day, it was all she could do to pull the saddle and packs off her friend before crawling under her blankets and falling into a night of restless sleep.

…

She continued in this manner for a day or two more. It was difficult to keep track of time; sometimes she verged on delirium. One morning, she could barely move. The fever had increased during the night and she knew it was hopeless. Even if she could get to her feet, she wouldn't last long. She managed to take a few sips of water but that was all. Baru stood nearby grazing and swishing his tail. 'I can't go on, Baru. You are free to stay or go. Hopefully you can find a nice meadow somewhere.' She looked up at the flawless blue of the sky. 'Look, the vultures are already circling. The least they could do is wait until I am actually dead.' One of the vultures seemed to circle and then started to move closer and closer. Baru jerked his head up, hesitated for a moment and then dashed off down the path.

'Goodbye,' Meta called after him. 'Thank you.' The 'vulture' flew lower and lower and Meta's fever-fogged mind realized at the very last that it was an eagle. '_Eagle, vulture, doesn't really matter in the end_,' she thought as the talons of the giant bird closed around her and dragged her into the air.

She tried to struggle at first but then a deep voice called out, 'Hold still, child, I mean you no harm.' She chose to believe the words and stopped fighting.

…..

….

Safe with Gandalf at the house of Beorn, Thorin was tormented by the thought of his daughter alone in the wilderness. He had wanted to send out search parties, but Gandalf counseled patience. 'Gwaihir and his folk will be able to cover far more territory, Thorin. If Meta is anywhere on the path, they will find her and bring her to Beorn's meadow. He is the one individual they know they can trust.'

Having experienced the power of the eagles during his own rescue from the Wargs, Thorin listened to the wisdom of the wizard's words. 'Alright, but I will not go one step further on this quest until she is found!'

Fili overheard his uncle's declaration and cringed. It was as bad as he had thought! His uncle was most definitely in love with Meta!

….

'Thorin, an eagle is circling and it looks like it has someone!' Bilbo's cheerful voice rang out in Beorn's cabin.

Thorin and the others leaped to their feet and raced outside. The hobbit was right. A large eagle was circling over a distant meadow. As Thorin began to run, Gandalf stopped him. 'Let Beorn go, Thorin. The eagles may have carried us, but they still are wary of those who walk the earth.' Thorin immediately halted and turned to Oin.

'We need to get a bed ready and blankets. She will be cold after the ride if nothing else. Bombur, make some soup so she can have something warm to eat.' He barked orders at his company and sent them scrambling to obey.

A short time later, Beorn came striding down the path from the meadow with Meta in his arms. He carried her past the waiting dwarves and into a small sunlit bedroom. 'She is very sick, Thorin.' Thorin saw that her face was quite red and that she was unconscious. They watched as the big man laid her gently on the bed and stepped back. 'They brought her belongings also,' Beorn rumbled. 'I will go retrieve them.'

Oin hurried to the bed and leaned over the still body lying there. As Beorn left, Thorin pushed his way into the room and closed the door. Oin glanced up in surprise and said, 'Are you sure this is appropriate, Thorin? She is an unmarried woman.'

Thorin went to the bedside and picked up Meta's hand. 'You will find out soon enough, Oin. I expect you to keep it a secret for now,' he glared at the other dwarf. 'Meta is my daughter. I will not be separated from her until I am sure she is safe.'

Oin stared at his leader without comment. Turning again to his patient, he unbuttoned Meta's tunic. She tossed restlessly and muttered incoherently. 'Bees, bees, I want my bees,' Thorin thought she said.

'She looks terrible, Thorin. Even without testing it, I can tell she has a high fever.' He put his fingers to her neck. 'Her heart is racing. We need to get the fever down. Send someone for water, as cold as they can get.' Oin noticed she had something clasped in her hand. Gently uncurling her fingers, he looked down at a flute. 'Well, Bofur will be glad to have that back at least.'

'Please don't,' his patient muttered. She tried to hold on to the flute. 'Leave me alone. Bees.'

Oin shook his head. If he couldn't get this fever down he didn't have much hope for her. He rolled her out of her tunic and saw the mark on her shoulder. Now he understood Thorin's words. Only a direct heir would have such a mark. It was a perfectly defined black crown right at her collar bone. Oin had seen many Durin's marks in his day, but this was second only to Thorin's own. Even Fili's and Kili's were not so clear. Shaking his head in wonder, he continued his examination. He saw a gold chain around her neck and after unfastening it, handed it to Thorin. 'We should put this somewhere safe.'

Thorin took the chain and saw the ring attached. If he had had any doubts about being Meta's father, he had none now. The ring had been his years ago and he had given it to Brin to seal their engagement. Suddenly Meta began to cry and reach for her neck. 'No, no, don't take it,' she muttered restlessly. 'Please, it's all I have.'

Thorin and Oin watched for a long moment and then Oin said, 'Let me put the ring back and see if that helps.'

As soon as the ring was replaced, Meta calmed down muttering, 'Frer,' with her hand clenched around the ring.

There was a knock at the door, and Thorin took the pan of icy water and some cloths he had requested. 'What do I do now?'

'Soak the cloths in the water and lay them across her body. Wrap them around her arms and legs and over her forehead. If this doesn't work, we will have to submerge her in a cold bath. I hate to do that. It can be an incredible shock to the body. I won't lie, Thorin, she is very sick,' he said again.

Thorin got to work. In a very short time, he and Oin turned Meta into a mummy. Only her face was left uncovered. Her restlessness slowed but did not stop altogether. 'Bees,' she said again.

Stroking her fingers, Thorin asked, 'What bees, Meta? Beorn's bees?' He turned to Oin, 'How could she know about Beorn's huge bees, and why would she want them?'

Picking up the flute, Oin showed it to Thorin. 'I think she means Bofur, Bifur, Bombur and Bilbo. She was always calling them her B's remember?'

Thorin took the flute. He recognized it also. 'Perhaps you are right, but I don't think we should let them in right now, do you?'

Oin agreed, 'No, not right away. First, we need to get the fever down and second we need to make sure she isn't contagious.' Seeing the look of alarm on Thorin's face he hurried to say, 'I don't think it is. I think it is due to cold and exhaustion. We will know in a few hours when the fever breaks. Call through the door from now on for the cold water and try to limit contact with the rest of the company.

After calling for more water, Thorin and Oin settled in for their vigil.

….

…..

_At first the fire burned and then the cold seared into her soul. She writhed in pain as the ice knives stabbed deep into her skin. Struggling to get away from the pain, she was held in an iron grip. The wind raced along her skin and she found herself flying high above the mountains. Then the world turned white and voices murmured. She tried to hold onto her treasure but it was taken. Over and over she called for her B's to help, but then remembered that they were lost and she was alone._

'_Frer, where are you, Frer? Adad?' She had never been able to speak those words before but now they tumbled out of her tired brain. 'Amad, I hurt. Please make it stop, Amad.'_

…_.._

…..

Thorin and Oin labored through the day to get the fever down. Meta squirmed and twisted away from their hands. 'It burns, Amad!' she would cry when fresh cloths were wrapped around her. 'Make it stop, please!'

It was all Thorin could do to force himself to continue. 'We're hurting her!'

'We have to do this if we have any hope of breaking the fever, Thorin. It doesn't really burn. It is her mind playing tricks.'

Suddenly Thorin had another thought, 'Can Gandalf help? Should we ask?'

'I doubt it. He has always said he is not a healer. Let's keep trying this for awhile longer. If her fever doesn't come down by sunset, we can ask.' Oin knew if the fever wasn't down by then it wouldn't matter.

…

Outside the cabin, the company waited for news. The B's were the most worried. They were her close friends. The others had continued to hold themselves apart from the little group so they didn't have as much of an emotional stake in Meta's fate. However, they felt bad that anyone in their company was so sick.

Fili and Kili sat off to one side. Fili didn't quite know what to feel. On the one hand, he didn't want his uncle to marry, but on the other he didn't want to see Meta suffer or worse, die.

Thorin yelled out the door for more water and Kili ran to the well to draw up another bucket of the icy water. 'This is the sixth one, Fili. I don't think she's going to make it.' Kili didn't have much experience with sick people, but he knew fevers were never good news.

'If our uncle has any say in the matter, she'll live. I have never seen him in such a state,' Fili replied. 'He must really love her.'

Kili carried the bucket to the closed door and set it down. He knocked and stepped aside before it opened. 'How is she, Uncle?' he asked when the door opened.

Thorin looked up at him as he lifted the water. 'Oin seems to think she is a little better. This should be the last water for awhile. He wants to see how she does if we stop. Thank you,' he said and closed the door.

….

…

_She watched as the little flames retreated. A cool wave spread along her arms and legs. Baru sat next to her and nibbled her hair. She giggled and pushed him away. 'Stop that you silly pony.' But when she looked again, it was Bofur who sat there. 'Play for me, B.' He lifted his flute and began to weave the tune he had played for her in Rivendell. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. When she opened them again, her mother was there. 'Oh, Amad, I hurt. Make it go away.' Her mother leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Meta smiled at the gentle touch but when she opened her eyes again, Mot raised his fist to hit her face and she began to cry._

…..

…..

'It isn't working, Oin, she seems worse!' Thorin cried. He reached his hand out to get a wet cloth, but Oin stopped him.

'Her fever is lower, Thorin. We need to leave her alone for just a bit longer. I think it is starting to break.'

….

…

_Meta flew over the mountains again and the wind cooled her face and raced through her hair. The land rushed up to meet her and she lay in a field of flowers. It was pleasantly warm. There was the drone of bees in the air and she fell asleep to their hum._

…..

…

'There, see, I told you, Thorin! The fever has broken. All we need to do now is make sure she gets a good long rest. She is going to be weak for a few days.' Oin knew they were facing a deadline to use the key and wondered what Thorin's reaction to the news would be.

Thorin stood abruptly and hugged his healer friend. 'We will give her all the time she needs, Oin!' He put his finger to his lips. 'And remember, it is our secret. No one is to see that mark or know anything about it. I need to decide where to go from here.'

Oin nodded. He understood the consequences of that mark as well as anyone. 'Let me get her dressed, Thorin. I think we should at least let her B's in to visit. It will do her good.'

…

When Meta opened her eyes, sunlight streamed through a strange window and across her bed. She saw Thorin sitting on one side of her bed and Bofur on the other. They were both asleep. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open, but when she saw a pitcher on the table she mustered all her strength and said, 'Water.' At first there was no response so she tried again faintly, 'Water.'

Thorin's eyes popped open and he sat up abruptly. 'You're awake at last!' Her eyes started to close again, but Thorin shook her shoulder. 'Oh no you don't! You've had enough sleep.' He lifted the pitcher and poured a glass of water. 'Bofur, wake up, Meta needs your help.'

Bofur jerked upright and shook his head to clear it. 'What? Oh, Meta!' He smiled as she tried to keep her eyes open.

'Help me give her some water,' Thorin ordered. He handed Bofur the glass and gently assisted Meta to a sitting position. Bofur held the glass to her lips and she drank thirstily until she started to sputter. 'Oin said to only give her a little, Bofur, you're drowning her!'

'No, I'm not, she's thirsty,' Bofur retorted.

Meta collapsed back against her pillow and closed her eyes. 'I'm alright. It was what I needed.' Her head started to loll to the side as she tried to retreat back to sleep.

'Do you want anything else, Meta; how about some soup?' Thorin offered.

Her eyes barely open, Meta muttered, 'Too tired for soup.' Her gaze wandered over to Bofur who was sitting awkwardly in his chair. He was there at Oin's request, but he wasn't really sure what he should be doing. 'Play for me, B. Play…'

Bofur looked at Thorin as if for permission. 'If that's what she wants, do it!' Thorin ordered.

The dwarf pulled one of his many recorders from a pocket, put it to his lips and began to play the song he had written in Rivendell. A tiny smile crossed Meta's tired lips as she fell asleep once again.

….

The next time she woke, Thorin and Bifur were at her side. This time her mind was clear and her stomach was empty. She also had to relieve herself. 'Um, excuse me,' she said. Thorin had been reading a book and Bifur was staring out the window.

Thorin slammed the book shut and eagerly leaned forward. 'Awake again, that's good. How do you feel?'

'I-I-I,' her face reddened. How did one tell the leader of your company that you needed help getting to the outhouse?

Realizing her dilemma, Thorin laughed. He reached down under the bed and pulled out a small pan. 'You have a choice, here or the outhouse.'

Blushing furiously, Meta said, 'Outhouse, but I doubt I can make it on my own.'

Thorin bowed to his daughter, 'Thorin Oakenshield, at your service, my lady.' He turned his back and squatted by the bed. Meta struggled to rise and with Bifur's help, finally had her arms around his neck. Tucking his arms under her legs, Thorin lifted her and walked to the door. Bifur opened it and watched in astonishment as the pair passed through. He had never seen such a thing in his life! The king of Erebor was working as a pack mule for a lady in distress.

As they walked out of the cabin, several of the company observed their progress. Fili took note of the situation and was thoroughly displeased. When Thorin reached the outhouse, he carried Meta into it and set her down near the appropriate position. 'Do you require further assistance?' he asked with a smile. He was enjoying her discomfort tremendously.

'Not right now, no. In a few minutes,' Meta stammered. Still smiling, Thorin left her to her task.

Balin found Thorin outside under a tree. 'Left the sickroom at last, I see.' Thorin had rarely left Meta's side since Beorn had brought her in.

'She is awake and needs some personal time, Balin.' He indicated the outhouse. 'I suppose you are here to make sure I don't confess to her?' He was determined to finally tell her the truth no matter what Balin said.

Balin sat down and said, 'Actually, at this point, I think you need to tell. Oin knows, I know, eventually someone else will find out and then Meta will find out.'

'I'm glad to hear you say that. As soon as she is fully recovered, she will know the truth. There will be no more lies between us.' Knowing the truth would soon be revealed eased Thorin's heart.

He paused and then asked uncertainly, 'Do you think I am weak, Balin?'

'Weak? Thorin Oakenshield weak? Why would you ever ask that? You are one of the strongest dwarves I know. Without you, many of us would have died years ago.' Balin was astonished by the question.

Thorin motioned toward the outhouse. 'Because of Meta. Since I found out she is my daughter, I have done things differently than I would have before. I was ready to quit this journey if she was lost. I worry that I will fail the company now because of these new feelings,' he explained.

Balin smiled. 'You will never fail us, Thorin. You have always done the right thing, and a new daughter will not change that in the end. If anything, she will make you stronger. My trust in you has never wavered and it never will!'

Thorin clasped his friend's forearm. 'I thank you for those words, Balin. I have no intention of failing anyone, but it is good to hear that you still have faith in me.

'More than ever, Thorin, more than ever. I will leave you to your task. I doubt your child will appreciate much of an audience right now.' Laughing, Balin left Thorin to wait.

A few minutes later, he heard a loud _thump_ from inside the little building. 'Meta, are you alright?' he called through the door.

'A little help, please,' came the reply.

When he opened the door, Meta was sitting on the floor. 'I was doing okay until I tripped on the end of the nightgown. The elves always make them too long,' she complained.

Thorin bent over and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was amazed at how natural it seemed. Normally she didn't like to be touched. He hoisted her up and began the trip back to the cabin. 'Better now?'

'Much,' she said. 'Can I get something to eat?'

**_Thoughtful comments and reviews welcome. I hope you are enjoying things so far…._**


	14. Discovered

The dwarves rested in the peaceful world of Beorn and his bees. She had been thrilled to meet Beorn. 'Another B!' she had exclaimed. Day by day, Meta regained her strength, but her progress was slow. She spent quite a bit of time alone out in the meadow enjoying the flowers and ponies. In the evenings she liked to listen to the tall tales the others would spin.

One evening after a wonderful dinner and much beer, Fili and Kili were trying to top one another with outrageous stories. After a particularly grandiose one, Bifur said, 'I don't think I will ever hear anything more audacious in my life!' He raised his mug in honor of the story.

'If you want audacious you should get our uncle to talk,' roared Kili. 'It might not seem like it now, but he was quite adventurous in his younger days. I remember him telling me about a secret identity he used when he was away from home. He got up to all sorts of mischief, and it never got traced back to Thorin Oakenshield.' He leaned over to his brother and asked, 'What was it again? Frir or Frar?'

Fili took a big gulp of beer, belched loudly and shouted, 'Frer! Frer son of Fror! How could you forget, Kili? We used to hear about him all the time when we were children!'

Up to this point, Meta had been nodding off by the fire only half listening, but when Fili yelled the name her head jerked up, her heart pounding. Frer, son of Fror had been the name her mother had told her all those years ago. Frer, son of Fror was her father's name! Could it be the same person? She knew that dwarves frequently repeated names generation after generation and family after family, but how many Frers son of Frors could there be?

Pieces of remembered comments and looks rolled through her mind. A foggy conversation about swimming and her birthmark rose to the surface before all others, the unusual offer to train her, his kind attention while she was sick. If he had the same mark, _he knew! He knew he was her father and hadn't said anything! _She struggled out of the comfortable chair and left the room. The others continued on with their drinking and stories.

Thorin and Gandalf were outside talking about the next leg of the journey. 'I wish you wouldn't go off and leave us, Gandalf. What are we supposed to do with a dragon on our own?' she heard Thorin say. Before the wizard could reply, she burst out, 'Take it off. Take your shirt off this minute, Frer, son of Fror!'

Thorin winced at the name and the outraged look on her face. He had known this day would come, but he had hoped to tell her in his own time as soon as she was healed. Now he knew he should have told her as soon as she awoke. 'Where did you hear that name?' he asked quietly.

'From one of your nephews, of course. How long have you known? Rivendell for sure, but was it earlier? What game have you been playing all these weeks?' she yelled. 'Now take off your shirt,' she demanded again.

Gandalf watched as the two faced each other. With her angry look the resemblance to Thorin was striking. Thorin's next words answered the question in his mind.

'No need for that. It is what you suspect. I am your father. I am so sorry, Meta. I should have told you in Rivendell, but I was stunned when I saw your birthmark. I didn't know what to do. And then I wanted you to be healthy before I told you,' he stumbled over his reasons.

His admission struck her like lightning. This dwarf that she had come to admire so much was her father, but he had lied to her mother! 'Was it only a game? Was she just another maiden to claim and another notch on your belt?' The tears she had managed to suppress finally burst out at the thought of her mother and her hopeless love. She sank down on a bench and sobbed even harder.

Thorin rose and sat down beside her. When she tried to move away, he took her arm and stopped her. 'Do not ever think that of me. I loved your mother with all my heart and when I lost her, I thought I would lose my mind.'

'But why did you leave? How did you lose her?' Meta again tried to pull away but Thorin kept a firm grip on her arm.

His mind raced back to that long ago parting. _'I have to leave Brin. My father is missing and they need me to return home. I will come back as soon as I can, I promise.' _

'_Of course you must go. How terrible. I am sure he will be back by the time you arrive. Anyway, I will be busy planning our wedding!' _Brin had replied.

Now he looked into his daughter's eyes and saw his beloved staring back. No wonder she had seemed so familiar. The guilt was almost too much to bear. 'I had no choice. I didn't dream I would never see her again. I thought we would be together again in a matter of months, but by the time I was able to return, it was over a year. The messages I sent were never answered. And when I did return, no one knew where she or her parents had gone!' Thorin had looked for some trace of Brin for decades before finally giving up. 'I still don't understand why she left. Where did she go?'

'I can't talk to you right now!' With a swift twist of her arm, Meta was free. She quickly ran away into the dark.

Thorin rose to go after her, but a quiet voice stopped him. 'Let her go, Thorin. I am stunned myself; I cannot imagine what she must be feeling,' Gandalf said. 'Why didn't you tell her?'

'Like I said, I had no idea I had a child and when I saw the birthmark my mind exploded. She must be mine, there is no other explanation. Only a child of this line of Durin has ever borne the mark so clearly. My brother died too young and my sister has no other children. She is definitely mine. But Gandalf, Brin and I were only intimate a very few times. I didn't think it even possible!'

Gandalf laughed but quickly hid it. 'Ah, but it only takes one time, Thorin, you must know that!'

'Of course I do, but why didn't Brin tell me? I would have returned immediately, and we would have gotten married. She was my Only One. Damn Thrain! I received a message that he had gone off and no one could find him. They needed me back in the Ered Luin. Brin and I were engaged, but we hadn't had a chance to tell her parents. I hadn't had a chance to tell her who I really was. Thrain made me swear an oath to never travel under the name of Thorin. He was paranoid that someone was working to wipe out the line of Durin and once I swore, I was bound to secrecy. I needed to be free of the oath before I could tell Brin, but I never got that chance. Oh, Gandalf, when I think of the trouble my father caused with that one promise. I lost my Only One and now my daughter!' Thorin buried his head in his hands and pulled angrily at his hair.

'It's not too late with Meta, Thorin. Let her have tonight and talk to her in the morning. No more secrets,' Gandalf advised.

…..

Bofur watched as Meta ran out of the room. What on earth had caused that kind of reaction? He always hated to see her upset. He still felt a connection with her after the night he had spent holding her, warming her up. _And_ she had asked for him when she was sick. She had been gone for a few minutes when he decided to follow. Outside he heard loud voices but by the time he turned a corner it was only Thorin and Gandalf. Thorin looked angry or distressed neither mood Bofur wanted to face. He edged around the pair silently and went out into the meadow.

The moon was bright and lit the meadow with shadows of silver and grey. Bofur saw a figure hunched over on one of the benches and assumed it was Meta. He walked over and stood by her side. 'What do _you _want?' she asked rudely. He could tell she was crying from the tone of her voice.

'Well now, 'tis a beautiful night and the moon is glorious. I thought I might come out and enjoy a bit of it. We'll be off for Mirkwood soon and I doubt there will be much opportunity for stargazing in that place. Mind if I sit?' Without waiting for permission, he took a seat at the other end of her bench. She ignored him.

'Thorin seemed to be in a bit of a tizzy as I passed by just now. Would that be on account of you, Meta?' Bofur couldn't help asking.

'That is something very private and very personal, Bofur. I will not talk to you about it.' Meta wanted to scream the news into the night air, but she also knew she needed to speak to Thorin first before anyone else.

'Not a problem. I'm here if you need a friendly ear to talk to….or a shoulder to cry on,' he dared to offer.

Meta rubbed at her eyes and continued to remain silent. Bofur edged ever so slightly in her direction, but when she glared at him he stopped. 'Have you ever seen such a moon, Meta? I think it bodes well for our next step.' It was rather mindless, but he couldn't bear the silence.

'I don't know if I am going any further. I'm thinking of staying here,' Meta's words fell into the quiet night like a giant boulder off a cliff. Nothing and then BANG!

Bofur was stunned. 'You can't stay here! Gandalf said Beorn can be dangerous in the wrong mood. Besides, we need you. I've gotten use to being able to cut my meat with a knife.' He tried a little humor. He made her sharpen his knives at least once a week.

Meta actually smiled at that. 'You do have the dullest knives.' With the smile he dared to move a tiny bit more and didn't encounter a glare this time. 'But I think you can survive without me.'

Faced with her staying behind, Bofur said boldly, 'No, no I don't think so. I've gotten used to having you around to save my hide. If you stay, so do I.' He moved to within inches of her side. 'It's a matter of life or death!'

In spite of herself, Meta had to laugh at the dwarf in the goofy hat. He always did know how to make her feel better. 'I doubt Beorn would be any more thrilled with two dwarves staying than one. Anyway, I probably wouldn't be allowed to remain. It was just an idea. I wish I had stayed in my village and never gone to the Ered Luin.'

Bofur covered her hand with his. 'Don't say such things. I would never have met you, and you would never have gotten to know this fine, upstanding group of dwarves.'

Her hand twitched but she didn't pull it away. 'Perhaps, but other things would have stayed secret and hidden which may have been better for everyone.'

Before Bofur could explore this avenue any further a stick broke and cracked in the silent evening. Meta jerked her hand away and turned to see Thorin standing behind them, an evil look in his eyes as he stared at the pair. 'Please excuse us, Bofur. I would speak to Meta.' He jerked his head over his shoulder back toward the cabin.

Bofur raised his eyebrows at Meta questioningly. She sighed and patted his hand. 'I'll see you later, Bofur. Thank you again.' Bofur stood and slowly moved back toward the lights of the house.

Thorin took his place on the bench, but not as close as the other had been. 'Gandalf wanted me to wait until morning, but I doubt either one of us will get much sleep tonight. We may as well put the time to good use.' He looked at this dwarf-woman sitting in the moonlight. Not just any woman, his daughter; Brin's daughter. 'I don't know what to say, Meta. Why don't you ask me all the questions you have most assuredly had all your life?'

Meta debated running away again, but he was right. There was no escaping this conversation. Tonight or ten years from now, it would have to take place. She couldn't bring herself to look at him so she stared up at the silver moon. 'Why did you abandon my mother?'

Thorin took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 'I did _not _abandon her. I was called home by a family crisis and by the time I was able to come back, I could find no trace of your mother or her parents. No one knew where they had gone. Apparently they left in a hurry one night. I sent messengers everywhere I thought they might be and traveled to as many places as I could go myself, but I never found even a hint of them.' Now it was his turn. 'Do _you_ know what happened? Why did she leave?' he asked plaintively. 'I loved her dearly, and I thought she loved me too.'

Meta finally looked at his face. Agony shone from his eyes. 'She didn't want to go. Her parents were outraged when she told them she was engaged to you. They thought you were a penniless nobody and her father wanted her to wed someone else. He was deeply in debt to a wealthy merchant who had an eye for my mother. He would marry a daughter off and get rid of the debt all in one deal, but my mother would have none of it. One night, they tricked her into leaving with them. She would never tell me what they said to get her to go, but I suspect it was something about you. By then you should have returned and she looked for you every day.'

'But I sent messages almost every week! She should have known I had been delayed. When I first arrived home and realized my father was probably gone for good, I wrote and told her I would come for her as soon as I could!' Thorin cried out. 'I never got an answer. I wondered if she had changed her mind, but I knew I wouldn't believe it unless I heard it from her in person.'

'She never got anything. I think it must have been her father. He would have taken anything delivered to the house. Perhaps even read them before he destroyed them. Like I said, he was ruined if he couldn't pay his debts. And he would never have thought you would have that kind of money.' Meta had never met either of her mother's parents and now she was grateful that she hadn't.

Thorin shook his head. 'He was right about that. While I may be heir to a throne, there isn't much actual gold backing it up even now. Back then, we intended to be poor but happy.' He smiled at the memory. Brin had sworn she was quite able to survive on nothing.

'_As long as I can be with you, Frer, money means nothing.'_

Thorin had smiled at her idealistic dream. '_Well, it won't be nothing. Maybe next to nothing, but not nothing.' _They had both laughed over this and made plans for a poor but bright future.

'Where did they take her? Didn't she try to return?' Thorin asked.

'That was part of the problem. They left at night and she didn't realize she should pay attention to where they went. My mother was never very good with directions anyway. They ended up in some remote village with very few people and no dwarves. She felt very isolated and alone. Her parents thought they could force her to change her mind.' Meta stopped and took a deep breath. 'And then she realized she was pregnant. Her parents were very strict and they already despised you. She couldn't tell them so she ran away.'

'But if she didn't know where she was what good would that do?' he asked.

'My mother loved the forest and occasionally she found signs that Elves had passed that way. She started watching and realized that sometimes when there was a full moon a group would pass quite near the village at night. She had a bundle ready and the next time she saw them, she snuck out of the house and followed. When they spotted her, she begged for sanctuary and assistance. They took her to Rivendell and that's where I was born a few months later.'

Thorin sat in silence after she finished her tale. 'And I never thought to look there.' He didn't say it, but he realized his prejudice against the elves had cost him not only his love but his daughter for one hundred years. 'Did you have a good life, Meta? I feel so bad about leaving you alone.'

'That is one thing you do not have to worry about, Thorin. My life has been very good. Lord Elrond made sure that all our needs were met and then some.' She couldn't bring herself to say it to this dwarf who hated elves so much, but Elrond had always called her his foster daughter. He was the only father she ever knew.

Biting back angry words, Thorin instead said, 'So I must be grateful to him again. Someday I will thank him properly.' Finally he asked the most important question. 'Where is Brin, Meta? Is she still alive?' He held his breath in terror that the answer would be _no.'_

Meta stared up again at the moon. 'She lives.'

Not hearing the tone, Thorin pushed for more. 'Where? Where is she?' he asked eagerly.

'In a small village in the north. But,' and she turned to him now with pity in her eyes, 'She has faded over the years Thorin. She takes no joy in life. It is almost as though she is counting the days until she can enter the Halls of Waiting.'

Thorin brushed a shaking hand over his eyes. 'As soon as we finish this wretched journey, I will go to her. Even if she doesn't want me, I will never leave her again.'

'Oh, she will want you, Thorin. My amad might not have talked about you, but I know she thought about you every day. There was a certain look that would cross her face. I called it her _Frer_ look.' Meta laughed. There had been no communicating with her mother when that look was on her face. Anything Meta said would never be remembered until the look was gone.

She slowly rose to her feet. 'Forgive me, Thorin, I should go to bed. This has been exhausting.' She took a few steps and then stumbled.

Thorin caught her arm and steadied her. 'Come, allow me to carry you again, Meta.'

Wearily, she nodded. All her regained strength seemed to have leaked away in the last hour or two. Thorin scooped her up in his arms and her head dropped to his shoulder. He quickly carried her back to the cabin and shouted for Oin.

….

Oin hurried into the room to find Meta pale and sweating on the bed. 'What happened, Thorin? She was fine this morning!'

Thorin closed the door and returned to his place at Meta's side. 'She knows, Oin. She knows I am her father. Fili blurted something and she figured it out.'

Resting his hand on her forehead, Oin said, 'Her fever is back. Not as bad as before, but this isn't good. The shock has been too much after so short a recovery.'

Cursing his stupidity, Thorin squeezed Meta's hand. 'What do we need to do, Oin? More cold cloths?'

'No, nothing that extreme. This is just a little setback, but it means she won't be able to travel with us as planned.'

The company had intended to leave Beorn's the next day. 'Why am I being tested, Oin? If we don't leave soon, we will never make Durin's Day.' Thorin wanted to punch the wall but resisted the urge. 'I will not leave you again!' he said to his new daughter.

Meta's quiet voice rose from the bed, 'You don't need to wait for me, Thorin. Follow the plan and leave tomorrow.'

'But I can't leave you here alone and have you travel through Mirkwood by yourself. Even_ I_ wouldn't attempt that!' Thorin exclaimed.

Meta was prepared to meet his objections. 'Ask the three B's to stay with me. Their weapons skills are much improved and the forest isn't that hazardous is it? We will follow when I feel better.' She turned to Oin, 'How long do you think it will take for me to be ready to go?'

Oin stood and looked at her for a few minutes. 'I would think in less than a week. You were doing well before this little incident and I see no reason for it to be too long.'

Thorin still hesitated, but he knew he couldn't delay much longer. 'I will see what your B's have to say and what Gandalf thinks. He is more familiar with Mirkwood than anyone else. I do not want to do this!'

Meta reached out and tentatively took his hand. 'I know you don't, but to be honest, Thorin, I need some time to myself to digest this news. I had hoped to find some word of my father when I started my journey, but I never expected this.'

He covered her hand with his other one and gently squeezed. 'I understand. I will do what Gandalf thinks is best for the company and let you know.' Thorin resisted the sudden urge to lean forward and kiss her cheek. It would be too much too soon. Reluctantly he let her go and stood. With a nod to Oin, he left the room.

…

Balin pounced on him just outside the door. 'Please tell me we are still leaving in the morning, Thorin. There can be no further delay!'

Thorin said angrily, 'I am still the leader and we leave when I say we leave!' Noticing the interested eyes of the company, he pulled Balin with him and left the cabin. Outside he continued, 'I have to speak with Gandalf. Meta is too ill to leave tomorrow.' Balin's mouth opened and a look of outrage crossed his face so Thorin hurried on. 'But s_he _does not want me to delay on her account.'

'Thank goodness,' Balin muttered. He liked Meta but she had become a thorn in his side lately.

'However, there are decisions to be made if we are to split the company. Meta suggested that we leave Bifur, Bombur and Bofur with her and they will join up with us later.' A memory of Bofur's hand resting on Meta's as they sat in the moonlight flashed through Thorin's mind. He shook his head to clear it. He would deal with _that_ later.

Balin grew thoughtful. 'Hmm, they have gotten better at defending themselves, but I am not sure….'

'Master Balin is not sure of something? That is a rarity!' Gandalf's voice boomed out. 'What is the argument now, my friends?'

Thorin turned and saw the wizard walking towards them from the direction of the meadow. 'Meta is too ill to continue the journey tomorrow. Do you think she and her three B's as she calls them can make it through Mirkwood on their own? It is either that or I stay,' Thorin warned.

Gandalf arched an eyebrow at the dwarf. 'I have not spent much time in the forest in recent years. In the past, it would have not been a problem, but I cannot swear that is still the case.' Gandalf hated to see Thorin postpone his journey, but he also was not about to lie and tell him it was completely safe for his newly found daughter to roam Mirkwood without the rest of the company.

Thorin sat on a bench next to the cabin and slowly banged his head softly against the logs. 'Alright you two, what are we going to do? We can leave tomorrow or we can wait a few days for Meta. We can split the company or we can stay together. Are there any other options?'

His two companions looked pensive for a few moments and then Balin spoke. 'I vote for splitting the company and meeting Meta later. If for some reason she is delayed further, she can stay in Lake-town.'

'Gandalf' Thorin questioned, 'your thoughts?'

The wizard pursed his lips and replied slowly, 'I don't like splitting the company. There is no guarantee that you will be able to meet up again in a timely manner. However, you also cannot afford any more holdups. There is still plenty of time to make it to the door by Durin's Day, but I fear you might run into other delays on the road.'

'So, how do you choose, wizard?' Thorin asked impatiently.

Gandalf gave a typical wizard half-answer. 'She is your daughter, Thorin, only you can decide.'

'Arggh! Wizards! And if she was your daughter, or that was not a concern, _how would you decide_!' Thorin shouted.

Ever so quietly, Gandalf said, 'Meta is strong and competent. Her B's are devoted to her. I would split the company.'

Thorin's heart sank. He didn't want to do it, but it looked like he would be leaving Meta behind even though he had only just found her. 'Very well, I will speak to the B's and see if they are willing to stay with her.'

….

Any hope Thorin had that Bifur, Bofur and Bombur would refuse and end his dilemma was put to rest almost immediately. After an initial disbelief that it was even being considered, Bofur said, 'I would be honored to be Meta's bodyguard!'

Bifur and Bombur who usually looked to Bofur for advice anyway, nodded in agreement. 'We wouldn't want her on the road if she is still sick,' Bombur said.

'Are you sure, Thorin?' Bifur asked. 'I know we have gotten better, but we are not nearly as skilled as the rest of the company. Maybe someone else should stay with her, too.'

'Gandalf does not believe there will be any cause for heroics. If for some reason we are not able to meet up before Erebor, I will need the help of the better warriors. You will remain in Lake-town if that happens!' he cautioned.

'I will do everything in my power to keep Meta safe, Thorin. You can count on it!' Bofur promised.

'Good, very good. Now Bifur and Bombur, if you will excuse us, I would like a private word with Bofur,' Thorin said.

Looking curious but not daring to ask, the cousins nodded at Bofur and left the two alone. After they had departed, Thorin turned to Bofur. 'I have seen the way you look at Meta, Bofur. Is there anything I should know about?'

Bofur stood tall and straightened his shoulders before he answered. 'I hold Meta in very high regard, Thorin. There is nothing that I would not do for her, and there is nothing that will keep me from my duty.'

'And there is nothing more to it than that? Your regard?' Thorin pressed.

'My feelings are my own, Thorin. I know that I am only a lowly miner, and Meta will never look twice at me.' Even as he said the words, a tiny part of Bofur's heart hoped that he was wrong.

Thorin heard the unspoken emotion in his voice. Having had his feelings for his Only One recently revived, he nodded curtly and said, 'Keep her safe, Bofur, and rejoin the company as soon as possible.' 

_They would never separate you say? Thorin might not, but Meta needs a little time alone right now to process the news. And besides, Mirkwood isn't _that_ dangerous...is it?_


	15. Into the Forest

Meta, Beorn and her B's watched as the company loaded the last of their gear onto the ponies Beorn was lending them. 'Remember to take everything off them when you get to Mirkwood and send them back,' Beorn warned.

Thorin came over to Meta one last time. 'A moment alone, please?' he said to her entourage. The B's moved out of earshot and Thorin sat next to his daughter. 'I hate leaving you behind, Meta. It isn't too late. If you tell me to stay, I will.'

Meta smiled. 'I said it before, Thorin. I need a little time to think about all that has happened. This is a blessing in disguise. I get the time I need, and you are able to get on the road without me holding you back.'

Thorin sighed. 'Keep yourself safe and don't take any risks. Beorn says that as long as we all stay on the road, it should be alright.' He finally dared to make the request he had been longing to make. 'Would it be asking too much to give you a kiss on your cheek, Meta?' He wanted to give her a bear hug also but was afraid to push too hard.

She blushed nervously. 'Not at all, Thorin, it is the least I can do.' She turned and tilted her head slightly. He leaned over and brushed his lips across her soft cheek. His beard tickled and she marveled again at how such a tough individual could be so gentle. 'Go regain your kingdom. I'll see you soon.'

'Thank you, my dear. I look forward to the day that you, your amad and I can be together.' Without waiting for a reply, he quickly rose and strode to his pony. 'Alright, everyone, let's get back on the road!' he called out. He took one last look at Meta sitting in her chair and turned his mount's head toward the distant edge of Mirkwood. The brief kiss had flooded his mind with memories of Brin and kept a smile on his face for the next few hours.

* * *

><p>Fili watched his uncle's parting from Meta with a sinking heart. Apparently, they were still committed to one another. He had heard rumors of a spat between the two and had hoped for the best, but it was not to be. He sighed. There was always the possibility that she would have trouble conceiving a child as so many dwarf-women did. Or perhaps Meta and her B's would get lost in the vastness of Mirkwood never to be seen again! Alright, he didn't really want that, but if it were to happen, he wouldn't be too torn up about it.<p>

* * *

><p>Meta rested. Meta read books. Meta watched the bees and listened to Bofur play his music. Meta went stir-crazy. Even with the B's company, sitting around gaining strength was a pain. She wanted to be up and doing, but when she tried it the first day, she felt lightheaded and a little dizzy. She went back to her chair, the books and the bees.<p>

She also spent considerable time thinking of Thorin. She still found it hard to believe that not only had she found her father, but that he was heir to a throne! Never in her wildest dreams had she dreamed that. Her mother said Frer was a trader who wandered the roads trying to find customers for his metal products. He had never said anything to hint at mountains, dragons or battles.

Meta remembered the various looks on his face at times. She sensed deeply buried emotions racing under the surface. She thought of what he had done to Mot for her before he even knew who she was. She tried to imagine a life with him and her mother but it was almost too much to hope for. There was still a long road ahead.

She had never been bitter about having no father growing up. She had resented that Frer had abandoned her mother, not herself. Elrond had been there in her early years, and she had never felt neglected. It was only when her mother cried late in the night that she was ever angry at the missing Frer. Now hearing Thorin's agonized voice when he talked of losing Brin, she could not even hold onto that anger any longer. He had suffered as much as Brin.

Thinking of her father became more tiring than wandering the road so she let it go after the first two days.

* * *

><p>One wonderful result of staying behind was that she was there when Baru wandered into the meadow! He looked none the worse for his journey. He needed a good brushing, but that was it. 'Well, I see you came through better than I did, Baru!' Meta was glad to know that he had not become wolf fodder.<p>

Finally on the fourth day she was able to take a vigorous walk with no complications. 'We will leave in the morning, Bofur. Are Bifur and Bombur ready?' Bofur had been an almost constant companion during her recovery.

'Aye, we're all ready, Meta. I will let Beorn know to get the ponies ready. I assume you want to ride Baru?'

'Of course, he has been a loyal steed so far. I will ask Beorn for his opinion, but I doubt Baru will come with us into the forest. Apparently the road can be too rough for ponies at times. However, knowing he is living in this peaceful meadow eases my mind.' Meta smiled at Bofur. Sometimes she wondered about his attentiveness, but she was unwilling to examine the situation too closely. She hoped he wasn't getting too attached. She had no time for that kind of emotion in her life right now. A new found father was more than enough.

* * *

><p>Three days later they stood at the edge of a dark and forbidding line of trees. 'Well, this is it. It is up to you, Meta. Do we go into Mirkwood or return to Beorn's?' Bombur asked.<p>

'Mirkwood. We don't really have a choice. As much as Beorn liked the four of us, he would not want us there permanently, and I have no desire to travel back through the mountains now that the goblins are on the hunt for all things dwarf!'

Meta had listened in terror as Bifur had told her how the company had faced the Great Goblin. 'If Gandalf hadn't shown up when he did, things were looking mighty grim!' the dwarf said.

Although sick and hungry, Meta realized her journey had been the easier one by far. Shaking herself free of the memories of her struggles in the mountain, she turned to Baru. 'What's your opinion, oh wisest of ponies? Do you come with me or return to Beorn?'

Baru gazed at her with his soft, knowing eyes and then up at the line of trees. Snorting gently, he nuzzled her neck and then moved over to join the other ponies now stripped of their gear. 'That's what I thought,' Meta laughed as she unbuckled the bridle and pulled it from her faithful brown friend. 'I would choose that way too if I could.'

Free of the bridle and packs, Baru shook out his mane and pawed at the ground. She picked up her pack and ran her arms through the straps. 'Let's get going before I change my mind,' she said to her three B's as she walked quickly under the dark canopy of the forest without looking back.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the little group to envy Baru's choice. The forest was dark, dank and well, murky. Little in the way of true sunlight filtered through the dense canopy and animal life was all but non-existent. To Meta, it smelled like a room that had been sealed up for a hundred years and needed a good airing. 'Is it too late to turn back?' she asked facetiously one evening after a long day of trudging through the unchanging forest.<p>

Bombur laughed without humor. 'The only thing that keeps me going forward is knowing what lies behind. How can it get any worse?'

* * *

><p>The B's refused to let Meta stand watch at night. 'You have barely recovered from exhaustion and fever,' Bifur said. 'We don't need you relapsing in here.'<p>

Although she wanted to protest, Meta knew they were right. She felt well enough, but this forest looked like it would be more of a challenge than any of them, including Gandalf and Thorin, had expected. It would be better to conserve her energy for the time being.

If she couldn't stand watch, Meta could make sure their weapons were sharp. Each evening she took a different one and went over it with her honing tools. Bofur liked to watch. 'I don't understand how you do it so much better than anyone else! I can't see anything different from what I do.'

Meta smiled. 'Ancient Elven secrets. It's all in the wrist!' She showed no inclination to share any more than that.

* * *

><p>They had reason to be thankful for her skill when the first attack occurred. At the end of a long, tiring day, they suddenly heard a loud chattering overhead and looked up to see everyone's worst nightmare personified. What appeared to be a giant spider crouched among the moss covered branches. Swords and axes were raised in the brief moment before the horror lunged down on the little group.<p>

Bifur was the unfortunate target, but he managed to swing his axe and remove a leg. Bombur waded in with his sword and made a swipe at one of its many eyes. Meta and Bofur joined in by hacking at anything that came near. The newly sharpened weapons sliced through flesh and tendon like butter. Before it had even begun, it was over. The corpse plopped to the path and lay still.

'What on earth _is_ that?!' Meta cried. She had never heard or dreamed of such a nightmare.

Gasping for breath, Bifur shook his head. 'I-I have no idea.' He poked at the body with his axe.

They all gathered for a closer examination. 'Look at this,' Bofur said. 'It's already been in a fight.' He pointed to a partially healed gash along one side and when they counted the legs, it only had six instead of eight.

'Do you think that Thorin and the others met up with this one before we did?' Meta asked. She hated to think of the company assaulted as they had been.

'Odds are they are the ones that took off the other legs and gave it the cut,' Bombur commented. 'I doubt there are many other folk walking this path right now.'

Bifur uttered the thought that no one else dared. 'Do you think there are any others or is this a rare specimen?'

No one bothered to answer, but they held their weapons a little tighter and stared a little harder into the forest.

* * *

><p>The attacks continued in a maddeningly random manner. Usually it was one spider which was easily defeated when the four stood together. Unfortunately, a few times two or three spiders appeared. These were much more difficult to defend against. The super-sharp weapons were a blessing since they cut so easily through the tough spider legs. However, the dwarves found their energy levels dropping rapidly. Even though no attacks had occurred at night, sleep was difficult and the days were nerve-wracking as they watched for an ambush.<p>

Their experience was actually easier thanks to Thorin and company. The spiders they encountered were the last remnants of the cluster the others had run into and reduced in number. They met the stragglers who were on the move to find a new home. On the other hand, the spiders were only on the move due to Thorin and company….

Finally their luck ran out. A spider dropped down on the quartet. Meta was off to the side trying to find firewood; Bombur and Bofur were sorting out their remaining rations. They had checked the trees, but either they missed this one or it had hidden better than the others. It fell onto Bifur as he arranged the bedrolls for the night.

Before he could reach for his axe, it grabbed him with its legs and began to haul him into the trees. The others ran to his rescue. Bombur managed to grab a leg and the tug of war began. The spider was almost out of reach for Meta and Bofur's weapons. At last, Bombur used his weight to pull a screaming Bifur lower by a foot or two. Bofur's axe bit deeply into one leg and the spider released its prey.

Bombur and Bifur fell with a crash to the forest floor. The spider made one last grab at Meta and her sword plunged into its eye. Squealing in agony, it retreated. Turning with a triumphant smile, Meta looked over at Bifur. Her smile quickly faded when she saw the cut on his hand. It wasn't very long but it was his fighting hand. The four fighters were effectively reduced to three and a half for the time being.

* * *

><p>Another long weary day of fearing attack and slogging along the path was half over when four spiders appeared. The healthy members surrounded Bifur and turned to face the enemy. Outnumbered, they fought a losing battle from the start. They could not gain an advantage. If they ganged up on one or two, the others reached out to grab someone. If each dwarf faced their own foe, that still left one extra. Bifur did his best with his good hand, but he ended up being more of a hindrance than a help. Finally one of the spiders grabbed him and dragged him into the trees.<p>

With the numbers equal again, the little trio might have won out, but Meta slipped in some spider ichor on the path and fell to the ground with a thud. Bofur immediately turned to protect her. Sensing victory, the three spiders concentrated on the pair. Suddenly Bofur was lassoed by a loop of filmy white silk. Never before had the spiders reached a point where they had been able to cocoon a victim and now it looked like they would claim two. Bofur fought fruitlessly against the sticky string. The spider began to hoist him into the canopy.

Meta wrapped her arms around his legs as Bombur hacked at the webbing. Once again the sharp blade seemed to give the dwarves the edge, but now the other spiders were free to shoot out their own silk. As Meta felt Bofur's legs start to slip from her arms, a horn sounded a short way down the path and an arrow drove into the flesh of the attacking spider's thorax. It convulsed in pain, and Bofur fell on top of Meta.

When the horn sounded, the other spiders ceased any attempt at attack and scurried away. Meta struggled to regain the breath that Bofur had knocked out of her. Bombur turned down the path to find out where the arrow had come from. If the archer was not a friend, then he knew they were defeated.

A moment later, several elves burst out of the edge of the wood and aimed their bows at the trio. 'Stand where you are!' a voice cried. A tall dark-haired elf strode past his soldiers and stood before his captives. His next words stunned Meta. 'Are you Meta?' he asked as he stared down at her. She had not yet been able to stand and was sitting on the ground still gasping for air.

Wordlessly she nodded.

'Stand up!' he motioned with his hand. When Bofur bent to help her, he snarled, 'You, leave her.'

When Bofur seemed about to swing at the elf, Meta managed to gasp, 'No Bofur. I can do it.' She finally managed to get to her knees and push herself to her feet. She stood proudly in front of the elf and said slowly, 'Meta, daughter of Brin.' She did not bow nor did she speak in Sindarin. 'I thank you for helping us.'

Before the elf could reply, three more came hurrying up the path, dragging a protesting and web-coated Bifur behind them. 'We found him, Fared. She almost got him, but we reached him in time.' They shoved poor Bifur so hard that he fell at Meta's feet.

She helped him to rise and then turned in outrage to the one they had called Fared. 'What is the meaning of this? First we are attacked by spiders and now mistreated by your company! I expect better of elves!'

Fared snorted at her words. 'What would a dwarf know of elves? We have been running your kind down for the last week and cleaning up the mess you have made in our forest. I am tired of it! The spiders haven't been this restless in months.'

Meta narrowed her eyes at his words but did not question what he meant. It sounded like they had encountered Thorin and the others. 'What happens now? Are you going to help us get through this miserable forest or not?'

'I have been sent to find you and bring you to the king. That is all you need to know for now,' Fared said. He motioned for them to move forward down the path.

Apparently following all but invisible paths, they left the road and headed into the depths of the wood. Meta knew better than to protest. An elf would follow his orders just as any dwarf or man would. When she tried to ask where they were going, Fared simply glared at her and said, 'You will find out when you get there.'

She really wanted to ask about Thorin, but she wasn't sure this elf knew anything, and she didn't want to give him any information he didn't already have. She knew that Wood-elves were not as friendly as those of Rivendell. They were far more wary of strangers in general and dwarves in particular.

Bofur walked close and asked, 'What's this all about, Meta? How do they know your name?'

Before she could reply, one of the guards shoved Bofur slightly. 'No talking. You will need all your breath for the journey.'

Meta did manage to say, 'No idea,' very softly before acquiring a glare from the guard.

The elves marched them quickly through the wood. Fared said his orders were to take them to the king so Meta assumed they were going to the palace of Thranduil. She had heard of it in Rivendell and actually looked forward to seeing it. It was rumored to be very unusual.

After almost a week of little sleep, it took all of Meta's determination to make the hike without complaint. She was tired but not about to let the elves see it. Unfortunately, the ground became very rough towards the end of the day and Meta's feet tripped her up. She fell hard to the ground. When she didn't rise immediately, one of the guards tried to drag her to her feet. Angry, she leaned back against his attempt and pulled him down with her. 'I will rise when I am ready,' she growled.

When the little group came to a halt, Fared came back to see what the delay was. 'Get up, dwarf. We want to be to the palace by nightfall. I always heard dwarves were known for their endurance, but I see that I was wrong.'

'She tripped and fell. Give her a moment. She almost died two weeks ago from a fever if that means anything to you!' Bombur cried. He thrust his bulk past the elf and knelt by Meta. 'Are you alright, dear?' He saw the same signs of strain in her face that he had noticed when she was sick.

Meta nodded wearily. 'Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure.' With his help, she made it back to her feet. 'How much further is it?' With a slightly more understanding tone, Fared said, 'It is not far now. Another hour will see us inside the gate.'

Brushing the dust off her trousers, Meta took Bombur's arm for support and nodded to Fared that she was ready to continue. 'Let's get it done then.

Bofur had watched the whole incident under the restraining hand of a guard, but now he shook the hand off and insisted, 'I am going to get her pack and carry it for her if you will allow?' The elf nodded and Bofur went to Meta's side. 'Let me to take your pack, Meta. It will help.'

Smiling gratefully, Meta shrugged the heavy pack off her shoulders and let it drop into Bofur's hands. 'Thank you, Bofur. Once again my B's come to the rescue.'

Feeling slightly left out, Bifur pushed his way to her side opposite Bombur. 'Then you must take my arm also, Meta, so that we all get a chance to help.'

Seeing her friends leap to assist her did more to raise Meta's spirit and energy than anything else could have. She reached out and pulled a remnant of spider silk from Bifur's hair. 'And with the help of the three of you, I will have no more troubles I am sure.'

'Come, move along, we must continue,' Fared said, somewhat surprised by the thoughtfulness of the dwarves.

* * *

><p>Dusk had fallen before they reached their destination so Meta was not able to get a very good look at the palace of Thranduil. She had an impression of large trees melding with structures to give it form but she was too tired at that point to care. They were escorted across a bridge over a river and placed in a room by themselves. Fared saw that they were given water and bread, but he mentioned nothing about their fate. 'I will return shortly,' he said and left the room.<p>

Meta was too tired to even try the bread, but Bofur insisted she drink some of the water. Seeing the worried look on all their faces, Meta sipped at it. Her B's whispered together in low voices trying not to disturb her. The water mug slowly sank to the table and she set it down before it spilled. Her eyes closed and her head dropped to her chest.

Suddenly she was jerked awake by the sound of the door opening. Fared had returned. 'You three,' he pointed at the B's, 'go with the guard. He will escort you to your room. You,' he put his hand on Meta's shoulder, 'will come with me.'

Too tired to argue, Meta got to her feet, but Bombur protested. 'We want to stay together. She should be with us.'

'You do not want her with you. Her rooms are going to be far more comfortable than yours!' Fared said.

'We are prisoners then?' Bombur asked.

Fared stared at him through narrowed eyes. 'Yes and no. You are not free to leave, but you are not to be thrown into the dungeons. I can tell you no more at this time.' His face softened slightly at the looks of concern on the dwarves' faces. 'Do not worry for your friend. She will not be mistreated. If anything, her lot will be better than yours.'

Reluctantly, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur followed the guard. Bofur handed Meta's pack back to her and whispered, 'I'll make them pay if they hurt you, Meta, you can be sure of that!'

Meta nodded her head but did not reply. Just holding onto the pack was taking all her remaining strength. Fared noticed and motioned another guard to take it. 'Come with me.' He led the exhausted dwarf out into the corridor and down a series of winding halls. She doubted she could retrace her steps even if she had been completely alert. Everything seemed to twist and turn.

At last Fared stopped and opened a door. The guard placed her pack on a table and Meta stepped inside. 'This is your room. Someone will attend you in the morning.' Fared bowed his head and closed the door leaving her alone.

Using the last of her energy, Meta shed her boots and outer clothing before she fell on the bed in a deep, dreamless sleep.


End file.
